Inaugural edition of Rugby Premier League in India set to have six franchises

Mumbai April 5: The curtains have been drawn on the inaugural edition of the Rugby Premier League (RPL) in India, as six franchises came together for the Player Draft and Auction in Mumbai. Organized by GMR and the Indian Rugby Football Union, the RPL is the first ever franchise-based league in the world and will have six founding franchises in the opening edition, a release said.

The franchises, Bengaluru Bravehearts, Chennai Bulls, Delhi Redz, Hyderabad Heroes, Kalinga Black Tigers, and the Mumbai Dreamers, went through the Player Draft and Auction, which saw a few intense bidding wars, as they went on to pick their squad of 13.

Each team had eight slots to fill from the draft and another 5 in the auction, with the pool in the latter comprising Indian players only. The RPL, a Rugby Sevens format tournament, commences on June 1, with a grand final on the 15th at the Andheri Sports Complex in Mumbai. Across the 34 matches, the RPL offers Indian players a great platform to rub shoulders and work alongside the most elite rugby players and coaches worldwide.

The RPL will welcome 30 marquee international players from powerhouse Rugby 7s nations, including New Zealand, Australia, South Africa, Fiji, Argentina, Great Britain, Ireland, the USA and Spain. Additionally, 18 international players from Canada, Hong Kong, and Germany will feature, enhancing the league's competitive dleague'seleague will also feature 30 Indian players selected from an auction pool of 71, providing them with a historic platform to compete alongside international legends.

Owned by the consortium of Manipal Education & Medical Group, InCred, and Soham Energy, the Bengaluru Bravehearts picked Kyle Tremblay, Ethan Turner, James Thiel, Rosko Specman, Lucas Lacamp, Perry Baker, Harry Mcnulty, and Maurice Longbottom in the draft round. During the auction, they acquired Ajay Deswal (INR 2.75 Lakhs), Asis Sabar (INR 1.5 Lakh), Pappu Todkar (INR 60,000), Pardeep Singh (INR 50,000), and Arjun Mahato (INR 50,000).

AVIDSYS Sports-owned Chennai Bulls went for Hannes Adler, Haakon Oess, Nikias Lohe, Terry Kennedy, Joseva Talacolo, Ratu Sauturaga, Joaquin Pellandini, and Alexander Davis in the draft. At the auction, they cherry-picked Vallabh Patil (INR 1 Lakh), Shanawaz Ahmed (INR 80,000), Vinayak Hariraj (INR 50,000), Muhammed Jasim EP (INR 50,000), and Vinay A (INR 50,000).

RRMZ'sDelhi Redz draft RRMZ'sThomas Richards, Michael Coverdale, Moritz Noll, Osadczuk Lucas, Matteo Graziano, Alejandro Castro, Patrick Odongo, and Jordan Conroy in the first round. After that, the team signed on the services of Rajdeep Saha (INR 2.75 Lakhs), Deepak Punia (INR 2.50 Lakhs), Mohit (INR 50,000), Sunil Chawan (INR 50,000), and Raj Kumar (INR 50,000).

KLO Sports' Hyderabad HeroSports picked James Christie, Max Roddick, Fong Fung, Luciano Rizzoni, Joji Nasova, Manuel Asensi, Terio Veilawa, and Regan Ware at the draft. And later on, went shopping for Prince Khatri (INR 3.75 Lakh), Sumit Roy (INR 1.25 Lakh), Javed Hussein (INR 90,000), Sukumar Hembrom (INR 60,000), and Sambit Pradhan (INR 50,000).

The Kalinga Black Tigers, who are owned by Hutch Ventures, wasted no time in giving the nod to Kyle Tremblay, Ethan Turner, James Thiel, Rosko Specman, Lucas Lacamp, Perry Baker, Harry Mcnulty, and Maurice Longbottom in the draft. Once at the auction, they priced out the services of Ajay Deswal (INR 2.75 Lakh), Asis Sabar (INR 1.50 Lakh), Pappu Todkar (INR 60,000), Pardeep Singh (INR 50,000), and Arjun Mahato (INR 50,000).

The Mumbai Dreamers, who come under the Dream 11 umbrella, bagged Elias Hancock, Rhys James, Briar Barron, James Turner, Waisea Nacuqu, Henry Hutchison, Aaron Cummings, and Santiago Mare in the draft. Joining them in the squad from the auction round were Neeraj (INR 2.75 Lakh), Devendra Padir (INR 1.25 Lakh), Akash Balmiki (INR 90,000), Nayan K (INR 50,000), and Ganesh Majhi (INR 50,000).

Satyam Trivedi, CEO of GMR Sports, added: "The Rugby Premier League marks a pivotal moment in our mission to elevate rugby in India. By showcasing a vibrant mix of international and Indian talent and with the unwavering support of our franchise owners, this league is poised to redefine the future of the sport. We believe that the RPL will captivate a wider audience and provide Indian players with invaluable opportunities to compete alongside the world's best, thereby making the world's standard of rugby in our country. As rugby continues to grow as an Olympic sport, GMR Group is excited to contribute to its holistic development in India." Satyam Trivedi said as per a release from Rugby Premier League.

Rahul Bose, President of the Indian Rugby Football Union, said: "This is a league that's been making for six years, but we wanted to do everything right. The first extraordinary development came thanks to World Rugby, which gave us a 15-day window in which no international rugby 7s would be played anywhere in the world. This made the best global rugby players available to us. From there, to partnering with GMR Sports and creating the best conditions for both the international players as well as our Indian players, choosing some of the most intelligent, committed team owners and getting a top-class broadcast partner in JioHotstar, it's been a helluva ride. Rugby7s is one of the most attractive television sports in modern history. Welcome, India and the world, to the Rugby Premier League," Rahul Bose said, as quoted in the release.

Reader Comments

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Rahul K.

This is HUGE for Indian sports! Finally rugby gets the platform it deserves. Can't wait to see our boys compete with international stars. Mumbai Dreamers all the way! 💪🏉

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Priya M.

Love the initiative but concerned about the pricing disparity - some Indian players getting 3.75L while others just 50k? Hope this doesn't create divisions in the teams.

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Arjun S.

Hyderabad Heroes got Regan Ware! That's an absolute steal. The guy is lightning fast on the wing. June can't come soon enough 🔥

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Neha P.

As someone new to rugby, this seems like the perfect introduction to the sport. The 7s format is fast and exciting. Hope the broadcast does justice to the action!

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Vikram J.

Interesting to see how this compares to Pro Kabaddi in terms of popularity. Rugby has a niche but passionate following in India. The international stars should help attract casual viewers.

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Sunil R.

Played rugby in college - never thought I'd see the day when we'd have our own pro league! Hope the Chennai Bulls do well. That Terry Kennedy pick is solid gold 🏉

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