2 weeks Ago By Christy Doran
Seventeen years after the IPL launched spectacularly and changed cricket forever, the Asian nation will launch the Indian Rugby Premier League in June, hoping it provides the “silver bullet” necessary to supercharge its quest to qualify for the Summer Olympics. Backed by World Rugby and Indian broadcasters in prime time by Star Sports and JioHotstar, six franchises from as many cities across India will play 34 rugby sevens games over 15 days from June 1. Each franchise will have a 13-man squad, made up of five marquee players from tier-one nations, three bridge players (Germany, Canada and Hong Kong) and five local Indians.
The franchises are Bengaluru Bravehearts, Chennai Bulls, Delhi Redz, Hyderabad Heroes, Kalinga Black Tigers, and the Mumbai Dreamers. World-known sevens coaches, including gold medal-winning Australian coach Tim Walsh, Mike Friday, Ben Gollings, DJ Forbes, Tomasi Cama and Paco Hernandez will lead the six franchises. Although the prize money and salaries are nothing remotely on the scale of the IPL, where India’s Rishabh Pant secured a record AUD $4.
92 million this season from Lucknow Super Giants, sevens specialists will receive US$15k for their month’s work. World Rugby has backed the Rugby Premier League in India. Photo: World Rugby Of the 30 marquee international players picked up in the inaugural draft, three are Australian with Maurice Longbottom, Henry Hutchison and James Turner registering.
Sevens greats Rosko Speckman (South Africa), Perry Baker (USA, Terry Kennedy (Ireland), Lucian Gonzalez (Argentina), Akuila Rokolisoa (New Zealand) and Joseva Talacolo (Fiji) have also signed up. The concept has been in the pipeline for six years and was concocted in an attempt to supercharge rugby in India, with the men currently ranked 86th on World Rugby’s rankings and the women 52. “It seems like a league like this would be conceived because you want the glamour, the position and the profile to be a union that punches above its weight.
Incorrect,” former Indian halfback and Bollywood star Rahul Bose, who is also the President of Rugby India, told reporters in Hong Kong recently. “The league first came to our mind because we were thinking, what is that silver bullet that’s going to catapult Indian rugby at a speed faster than normal federations do to grow their sport? “And we realised that a league, and it already has started to do, we have sixowners who are looking now for more Indian talent, who are going to be pouring money and resources into their regions in the country, whether it’s Mumbai or Chennai or Hyderabad or Delhi, pouring resources in there to say we need coaching talent, we need players, we need more physios. “So, the six ecosystems will grow and obviously players will benefit.
“That was the reason the league.” Of the 760 districts in India, which on average has 2,000,000 people, rugby is played in 322 districts. Recent census data said there were between 100-120,000 registered rugby players in India.
World Rugby chairman Brett Robinson said the RPL was exactly the type of innovation that could help the game grow. “Our purpose as a game is to grow the game by making it more relevant and accessible,” Robinson, the former Wallaby, said. “And this ticks all the boxes in terms of taking the product to a new market, an emerging market, an enormous market.
“It provides opportunity for people to try the game, see the game, and grow the game. So, from our perspective, it’s a perfect fit.” World Rugby CEO Alan Gilpin (L), Brett Robinson (2nd Right) and Rugby India president Rahul Bose at the Hong Kong Sevens.
Photo: World Rugby “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.
Bose said he hoped the nation, whose only team representation at the Olympics is in hockey, could see them crack the Brisbane Olympics in 2032. “Let’s not jump the gun,” Bose said. “For India to make the Olympics, we have to be in the top two nations in the world, in Asia.
What’s the reality? Our women are ranked 10th in Asia right now and our men are ranked 15th. “If you move up one place, which is a lot in a team sport in a year, you’re looking at 2032. “We will still be only the second team in India in last 80 years history to make the Olympics after hockey.
We’ve only made hockey in the last 70 years. “That’s a big step for us. “So, (rather than us being the) sleeping giants, this would be the silver bullet, if I may use that word.
“You know when Han Solo used to get into that Star Wars and then suddenly accelerate into those stars. This is what we want to do, so that it doesn’t take 30 years. It takes eight to ten.
” List of 30 marquee international players ● Perry Baker, USA – 2X World Rugby 7s player of the year, 3X Olympian ● Rosko Speckman, South Africa – 2 X Olympian – 2XBronze ● Harry McNulty, Ireland – 2X Olympian + 2X Rugby World Cup Medalist ● Terry Kennedy, Ireland – World Rugby 7s Player of the year 2022, World Series Top Try Scorer 2022 and 2024 ● Patrick Odongo, Kenya – Represented Kenya at the Paris Olympics ● Jordan Conroy, Ireland – 2 X Olympian, World Rugby Sevens Series and RWC7s Medalist ● Alex Davis, Great Britain – England 7s, Olympian ● Lucas Lacamp, USA – Olympian ● Tone Ng Shiu – New Zealand – Olympian, 2019 NZ Rugby 7s Player of the Year, Bronze, 2022 Commonwealth Games ● Aaron Cummings, USA – Olympian ● Scott Curry, New Zealand – 4 time New Zealand 7s player of the year, 3X Commonwealth games medalist, Silver 2021 Olympics, 6 X World Rugby Sevens Series Champion & RWC 7s Gold ● Lucian Gonzalez – Argentina -Bronze 2024 Paris Olympics, World Sevens Series Champs 2023, HSBC World Svns Dream Team ● Santiago Mare -Argentina- Bronze 2024 Paris Olympics,World Sevens Series Champs 2023 ● Joaquim Pellandini – Argentina – Bronze 2024 Paris Olympics, World Sevens Series Champs 2023 ● Matteo Grazziano – Argentina -Bronze 2024 Paris Olympics, World Sevens Series Champs 2023 ● Mattias Osadczuk – Argentina – Bronze 2024 Paris Olympics, World Sevens Series Champs 2023, HSBC World Svns Dream Team ● Akuila Rokolisoa, New Zealand- Olympian, Gold, RWC 7s 2018, Bronze, 2022 Commonwealth Games ● Alejandro Laforga – Spain – Olympian. Active player on the Spanish National 7s Team on the Series. Spain World Ranking – #2 ● Pol Pla – Spain – Olympian.
Active player on the Spanish National 7s Team on the Series. Spain World Ranking – #2 ● Manuel Moreno – Spain- Olympian. Active player on the Spanish National 7s Team on the Series.
Spain World Ranking – #2 ● Joseva Talacolo – Fiji – Oceania Games Champions 2021, Common Wealth Games Silver 2022, RWC Gold 2022, 2024 Olympics Silver ● Iowane Teba – Fiji – 2024 Olympics Silver, World Series Dubai, Singapore & Toulouse Gold ● Terio Veilawai -Fiji – 2024 Olympic Silver, World Series Singapore, Dubai, Hong Kong Gold ● Filipe Sauturaga – Fiji – 2022 Commonwealth Games Silver , 2024 Olympic Games Silver, RWC Gold ● Joji Nasova – Fiji – 2024 Olympic Games Silver, Dubai 7s Gold ● Regan Ware, New Zealand – Olympian, Bronze – 2022 Commonwealth Games, Silver, RWC 7s ● Waisea Nacuqu-Fiji – 2020 Olympic Games Gold, 2024 Olympic Games Silver, World Series Gold 2018 & 2019, 2022 Commonwealth Games Silver, RWC Gold ● Henry Hutchison – Australia- 3X Olympian, 2015 World Rugby Rookie of the Year ● Maurice Longbottom – Australia – 2X Olympian ● James Turner – Australia- Olympian.
