Mumbai (Maharashtra)[India], April 7 : The curtains have been drawn on the inaugural edition of the Rugby Premier League in India, as six franchises came together for the Player Draft and Auction in Mumbai. Organised Indian Rugby Football Union, the Rugby Premier League is the first ever franchise-based league in the world, and will have six founding franchises in the opening edition.
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 8 slots to fill from the draft and another 5 in the auction, with the pool in the latter comprising Indian players only. The RPL, which will be 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 with a great platform to rub shoulders and work alongside the most elite rugby players and coaches from across the world.
The RPL will welcome 30 marquee international players from powerhouse Rugby 7s nations, including New Zealand, Australia, South Africa, Fiji, Argentina, Great Britain, Ireland, USA and Spain. Additionally, 18 international players from Canada, Hong Kong, and Germany will feature, enhancing the league's competitive depth. The league will also feature 30 Indian players selected from an auction pool of 71, providing them with a historic platform to compete alongside international legends.
Squads after Player Draft and Auction
Owned by the consortium of Manipal Education and Medical Group, InCred, Soham Energy, the Bengaluru Bravehearts picked picked Henry Kirwan, Liam Poulton, Mak Chung, Akuila Rokolisoa, Iowane Teba, Tone Shiu, Pol Pla, and Scott Curry in the draft round. During the auction, they acquired Mohit Khatri (Rs 4.75 Lakhs), Karan Rajbhar (Rs 80,000), Arpan Chhetri (Rs 60,000), Suresh Kumar (Rs 50,000), and Prashant Singh (Rs 50,000).
AVIDSYS Sports owned Chennai Bulls went for Hannes Adler, Haakon Oeb, Nikias Lohe, Terry Kennedy, Joseva Talacolo, Ratu Sauturaga, Joaquin Pellandini, and Alexander Davis in the draft. At the auction, they cherry picked the likes of Vallabh Patil (Rs 1 Lakh), Shanawaz Ahmed (Rs 80,000), Vinayak Hariraj (Rs 50,000), Muhammed Jasim EP (Rs 50,000), and Vinay A (Rs 50,000).
RMZ's Delhi Redz drafted in Thomas 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 (Rs 2.75 Lakhs), Deepak Punia (Rs 2.50 Lakhs), Mohit (Rs 50,000), Sunil Chawan (Rs 50,000), and Raj Kumar (Rs 50,000).
KLO Sports' Hyderabad Heroes hand-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 (Rs 3.75 Lakh), Sumit Roy (Rs 1.25 Lakh), Javed Hussein (Rs 90,000), Sukumar Hembrom (Rs 60,000), and Sambit Pradhan (Rs 50,000).
The Kalinga Black Tigers, who are owned by Hutch Ventures, wasted no time in giving the nod for 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 prised out the services of Ajay Deswal (Rs 2.75 Lakh), Asis Sabar (Rs 1.50 Lakh), Pappu Todkar (Rs 60,000), Pardeep Singh (Rs 50,000) and Arjun Mahato (Rs 50,000).
The Mumbai Dreamers, 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 (Rs 2.75 Lakh), Devendra Padir (Rs 1.25 Lakh), Akash Balmiki (Rs 90,000), Nayan K (Rs 50,000) and Ganesh Majhi (Rs 50,000).
Satyam Trivedi, CEO, 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 not only captivate a wider audience but also provide Indian players with invaluable opportunities to compete alongside the world's best, thereby raising the 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."
Rahul Bose, President of the Indian Rugby Football Union, said: 'This is a league that's been six years in the making, but we wanted to do everything right. The first extraordinary development came thanks to World Rugby, who 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. Rugby 7s is one of the most attractive television sports in modern history. Welcome, India and the world, to the Rugby Premier League.'