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India Gazette
14-06-2025
- Sport
- India Gazette
Manuel Moreno set to captain Hyderabad Heroes in Rugby Premier League
Hyderabad (Telangana) [India], June 14 (ANI): Spanish superstar, Manuel Moreno, has been appointed the captain of the Hyderabad Heroes in the upcoming Rugby Premier League starting on June 15, at the Andheri Sports Complex, Mumbai. He will be supported by Indian stalwart, Prince Khatri and German, Max Roddick, who have officially been named co-vice captains for the team. The Rugby Premier League is the world's first franchise-based international league where stalwarts of international rugby will play alongside the best talent homegrown in India, as per a press release from RPL. 'Being named the captain for the Hyderabad Heroes is a responsibility that I am very excited about and take very seriously. Leading the team with Prince and Max is a unique opportunity to learn different leadership styles with one goal, which is for the inaugural season of the RPL to be an absolute success for the Hyderabad Heroes. Kudos to KLO Sports for backing the team and most importantly, it is an honour to work with and learn from legendary DJ Forbes,' said Moreno, on being appointed captain of the Hyderabad Heroes. Moreno has been chosen among the 14 best rugby players in the Sevens Series and currently plays for the Spanish national team. Prince Khatri has captained the Indian side a number of times and is one of the senior-most members of the national team. Max Roddick represents Germany and has been touted as one of the strongest bridge players across all teams. 'The Rugby Premier League is a unique opportunity to grow and to learn from the biggest names in international rugby. Being appointed co-vice captain with Max is an honour, and it will give me the chance to pick up skills that will help me become a better leader. Our squad is ready, and everyone has done a great job coming together despite coming from such different backgrounds and nationalities. The major credit of this goes to our coach, DJ Forbes,' said Prince Khatri, on being appointed vice captain of the Hyderabad Heroes. 'KLO Sports would first and foremost want to thank GMR Group and Rugby India for the introduction of the Rugby Premier League. The Hyderabad Heroes is another feather in the cap for KLO Sports, and both Sanjay and I are excited for the upcoming season. We have immense faith in the way our squad has been shaping up and in the leadership of our coach, DJ Forbes, who needs no introduction. This league reflects everything that KLO Sports stands for in terms of inclusivity and opportunity, and we are optimistic about the future of Rugby in India,' Srinath Chitoori, co-owner, KLO Sports said. The Hyderabad Heroes have an extremely strong lineup with the biggest names in international rugby and strong Indian representation. The squad includes- Prince Khatri, Javed Hussain, Sambit Pradhan, Sukumar Hembrom, Sumit Roy, Joji Nasova, Terio Veilawa, Motu Opetai, Max Roddick, Wolfram Hacker, Kevin Wekesa, Manuel Moreno Asensi and Lautaro Velez. The head coach for Hyderabad Heroes is the legendary World Rugby Hall of Famer, DJ Forbes. The Hyderabad Heroes will begin their campaign against the Kalinga Black Tigers in the third match of the league on June 15. Complete fixtures: (Hyderabad Heroes) June 15: vs Kalinga Black Tigers June 17: vs Bengaluru Bravehearts June 19: vs Kalinga Black Tigers June 20: vs Mumbai Dreamers June 21: vs Mumbai Dreamers June 22: vs Bengaluru Bravehearts June 23: vs Chennai Bulls June 24: vs Chennai Bulls June 26: vs Delhi Redz. June 27: vs Delhi Redz (ANI)
Hans India
14-06-2025
- Sport
- Hans India
Rugby Premier League: Manuel Moreno to captain Hyderabad Heroes with Prince Khatri and Max Roddick named co-vice captains
Mumbai: Spanish superstar, Manuel Moreno has been appointed the captain of the Hyderabad Heroes for the upcoming Rugby Premier League starting on Sunday at the Andheri Sports Complex, Mumbai. Moreno will be supported by Indian stalwart Prince Khatri and German Max Roddick who have officially been named co-vice captains for the team. The Rugby Premier League is the world's first franchise-based international league where stalwarts of international rugby will play alongside the best talent homegrown in India. 'Being named the captain for the Hyderabad Heroes is a responsibility that I am very excited about and take very seriously. Leading the team with Prince and Max is a unique opportunity to learn different leadership styles with one goal which is for the inaugural season of the RPL be an absolute success for the Hyderabad Heroes. Kudos to KLO Sports for backing the team and most importantly, it is an honour to work with and learn from legendary, DJ Forbes," said Moreno on being appointed captain of the Hyderabad Heroes. Moreno has been chosen amongst the 14 best rugby players in the Sevens Series and currently plays for the Spanish national team. Prince Khatri has captained the Indian side a number of times and is one of the senior members of the national team. Max Roddick represents Germany and has been touted as one of the strongest bridge players across all teams. 'The Rugby Premier League is a unique opportunity to grow and to learn from the biggest names in international rugby. Being appointed co- vice captain with Max is an honour and it will give me the chance to pick up skills that will help me become a better leader. Our squad is ready and everyone has done a great job coming together despite coming from such different backgrounds and nationalities. The major credit of this goes to our coach, DJ Forbes," said Khatri. Owned by KLO Sports, the Hyderabad Heroes have an extremely strong line-up with the biggest names in international rugby and strong Indian representation. The squad includes Prince Khatri, Javed Hussain, Sambit Pradhan, Sukumar Hembrom, Sumit Roy, Joji Nasova, Terio Veilawa, Motu Opetai, Max Roddick, Wolfram Hacker, Kevin Wekesa, Manuel Moreno Asensi and Lautaro Velez. The head coach for Hyderabad Heroes is the legendary, World Rugby, Hall of Famer, DJ Forbes. Hyderabad Heroes begin their campaign against Kalinga Black Tigers in the third match of the league on Sunday. Hyderabad Heroes fixtures: June 15: vs Kalinga Black Tigers June 17: vs Bengaluru Bravehearts June 19: vs Kalinga Black Tigers June 20: vs Mumbai Dreamers June 21: vs Mumbai Dreamers June 22: vs Bengaluru Bravehearts June 23: vs Chennai Bulls June 24: vs Chennai Bulls June 26: vs Delhi Redz June 27: vs Delhi Redz
Eyewitness News
04-05-2025
- Sport
- Eyewitness News
Blitzboks hope to finish season on a high note as they head to SVNS World Championship
Palesa Manaleng 2 May 2025 | 12:10 HSBC SVNS World Championship Blitzboks Blitzboks finished ninth at the HSBC SVNS in Singapore on 5 April 2025. Picture: @Blitzboks/X. JOHANNESBURG – The Blitzboks will have one last shot at bringing home silverware at the SVNS World Championship in Los Angeles at Dignity Health Sports Park on Saturday. 'We can look back at the regular series where we had a mixed bag of results, but this effort here in Los Angeles will define the season' said Blitzbok head coach Philip Snyman. South Africa finished fourth on the Sevens Series standings. Their campaign saw them win their home tournament in Cape Town, reach the final in Vancouver and finish fourth in Perth but disappoint in Dubai, Hong Kong and Singapore. 'There were brilliant moments, average moments and some poor moments, but we are looking towards this weekend, not behind us. We had our review of the series and know what we were good at, or not. Our fourth place in the series was an improvement from the previous year, but we want to be remembered by more than that' said Snyman. The SVNS World Championship this weekend will be a tournament with no second chances and an opportunity where the Springbok Sevens team can deliver a performance that will do their season justice. 'To be successful this weekend, we approach this as a complete team effort where every individual will have to be on point when it comes to roles and responsibilities and to make sure that his job gets done. I believe our system is such that we will be successful if we manage that.' South Africa will face Olympic champions France, Great Britain and HSBC SVNS league winners Argentina on Saturday in Pool A of the tournament. Fiji, Spain, Australia and New Zealand are in Pool B and the top two teams in each pool will contest the semi-finals on Sunday. Pool A fixtures (SA times)Saturday, 3 May21h12: FranceSunday 4 May00h13: Great Britain 03h46: Argentina
The South African
29-04-2025
- Sport
- The South African
Willemse determined to make a mark in green and gold
The 2025 season has been a bit of a blur for Alicia Willemse thus far, but on Saturday in Los Angeles at the Sevens Series play-off, the 27-year-old playmaker will strive to be at her brightest and clearest of minds. Donning the Springbok Women's Sevens jumper this time around, Willemse will be expected to combat and outplay Ireland and China alongside her teammates, barely two weeks after a memorable day in Alicante, Spain. Then, Willemse came off the bench as replacement-scrumhalf to earn a first Test cap for the Springbok Women in a once-off international against Spain, barely five weeks after making her debut in the World Rugby Sevens Challenger Series at Athlone Stadium in Cape Town. 'It is really exciting times,' Willemse said shortly after the team arrived on the west coast of the USA for the final sevens tournament of the 2025 season, and for the Springbok Women's Sevens, a most important one. The play-off tournament, where they will also face Argentina in their final pool match on Sunday, will determine the South Africans' fate for the next season of Sevens Series and in a way, the career choices the DHL Western Province player will have to make. Upon returning from Los Angeles, Willemse will be back in the Springbok Women training squad, aiming to make it to the Rugby World Cup, to be played in England in August and September. 'I have worked hard towards that goal and getting my first cap for the fifteens side was something I had on my radar,' said Willemse, who missed out on Test match selection last year, despite touring to Europe where the Bok Women played against Spain and the USA. 'Come to think of it, the sevens call-up was probably a bigger feat, as I never really expected it, nor focused so much on that code. 'I enjoy playing sevens and I still do, as a smaller player I enjoy the freedom of space a bit more, so I can't wait to go out and play with a bunch of very talented teammates. I am really grateful and privileged to have played for both national teams for the first time in such a short space of time.' Willemse said the desire to do justice in the green and gold drives both teams: 'Whether fifteens or sevens, both teams are desperate to do the jersey justice and make the country proud. I have not walked the sevens journey that long, but can tell you that this team is very, very determined to regain that top 12 spot on the world circuit.' The Springbok Women's Sevens team will have some comforts in Los Angeles, with the memory of their best finish of the 2024 Sevens Series at this very venue. The team finished sixth overall and moved to 10th on the tournament log after two good wins over Brazil and Fiji. 'That performance showed that we can compete against the best, but more encouraging would be the recent performances in Krakow, where the team won the final Challenger tournament. The momentum gained will work well for us this weekend,' added Willemse. Let us know by leaving a comment below, or send a WhatsApp to 060 011 0211. Subscribe to The South African website's newsletters and follow us on WhatsApp, Facebook, X and Bluesky for the latest news.
The South African
29-04-2025
- Sport
- The South African
Blitzboks: Sevens World Championship fixtures
The Blitzboks will be hoping to fare better in the winner-takes-all World Championship in Los Angeles this weekend than they did in Sevens Series league campaign. The Blitzboks finished as one of the top eight men's teams at the end of the Singapore event [which took place at the start of April], and will head into the winner-takes-all World Championship in Los Angeles on 3-4 May at Dignity Health Sports Park. LA will also play host to the high stakes promotion and relegation play-off competition that sees the top four men's and women's teams from the Sevens Challenger join the bottom-four ranked teams in the Sevens Series standings at the end of the sixth round in Singapore to fight for the highly coveted places in future Sevens Series events. Every single member in this current Blitzboks squad has been part of at least one career sevens tournament victory, something Philip Snyman feels can be replicated in the USA. 'This format, with only eight teams competing in two pools, is challenging, but we have beaten France, Great Britain and Argentina before this year, so I am confident that we will progress to the semi-finals on day two,' he said. The Blitzbok coach said he has some game plans ready for the pool matches: 'We have a variety of combinations available, and I am looking at the best ones for each opponent. 'We had a poor match in our last outing against Great Britain, France remain a very competitive team and Argentina have just won the series, so it will be really challenging. 'Our record in the once-off tournaments has been good though and I know we leave Cape Town on Sunday well prepared and determined to finish the season with a performance that everyone can be proud of.' Saturday, 3 May 21h12: Blitzboks vs France Sunday, 4 May 00h13: Blitzboks vs Great Britain 03h45: Blitzboks vs Argentina Let us know by leaving a comment below, or send a WhatsApp to 060 011 0211. Subscribe to The South African website's newsletters and follow us on WhatsApp, Facebook, X and Bluesky for the latest news.
