 "Rugby Premier League 2025: Teams, venues, schedule, live streaming and everything else you need to know")
Several sports have been trying to gain a foothold in the cricket-mad nation that is India, which also happens to have quite the history when it comes to field hockey, in recent years. Rugby sevens – a fast-paced variant of rugby union – hopes to leave a mark and gain some following among Indian sports fans with the inaugural Rugby Premier League (RPL), which gets underway on Sunday, 15 June.
Here’s everything you need to know about the franchise-based rugby sevens league, which is a joint venture between Rugby India and GMR Sports and features some of the best players in the world playing alongside top Indian talent:
How many teams will be taking part in the inaugural season of the Rugby Premier League?
A total of six teams will be taking part in the inaugural season of the Rugby Premier League – Bengaluru Bravehearts, Chennai Bulls, Delhi Redz, Hyderabad Heroes, Kalinga Black Tigers and Mumbai Dreamers.
Here are the 13-player squads for the six RPL franchises:
Delhi Redz: Matteo Graziano, Michael Coverdale, Raj Kumar, Moritz Noll, Matias Osadczuk, Alejandro Laforga, Deepak Punia, Sunil Chawan, Mohit, Rajdeep Saha, Patrick Okongo, Jordan Conroy; Coach: Tomasi Cama
Hyderabad Heroes: Manuel Asensi, Sambit Pradhan, Terio Veilawa, Max Roddick, Prince Khatri, Javed Hussein, Sukumar Hembrom, Sumit Roy, Joji Nasova; Coach: DJ Forbes
Kalinga Black Tigers: Kyle Tremblay, Harry McNulty, Deepraj Rajabhosale, Ethan Turner, Rosko Specman, James Thiel, Maurice Longbottom, Asis Sabar, Arjun Mahato, Ajay Deswal, Pardeep Singh, Lucas Lacamp, Perry Baker; Coach: Mike Friday
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More ShortsChennai Bulls: Nikias Lohe, Muhammed Ep, Vinay A, Akhil Anand, Joaquin Pellandini, Filipe Sauturaga, Joseva Talacolo, Terry Kennedy, Alexander Davis, Vallabh Patil, Shanawaz Ahmed; Coach: Ben Gollings
Mumbai Dreamers: Aaron Cummings, Elias Hancock, Rhys James, Neeraj, Devendra Padir, Nayan K, Waisea Nacuqu, Briar Barron, Henry Hutchison, James Turner, Ganesh Majhi, Akash Balmiki; Coach: Tim Walsh
Bengaluru Bravehearts: Tone Shiu, Scott Curry, Suresh Kumar, Iowane Teba, Mak Chung, Akuila Rokolisoa, Liam Poulton, Mohit Khatri, Karan Rajbhar, Arpan Chhetri, Prashant Singh, Pol Pla; Coach: Francisco Hernandez
Which cities will host the inaugural Rugby Premier League?
All the matches in the inaugural season will be hosted in Mumbai – at the Mumbai Football Arena in the Andheri Sports Complex.
What format will the Rugby Premier League be played in?
The Rugby Premier League will be played in the rugby sevens format – in which each team comprises seven players instead of 15 that is the case with rugby union.
And being the faster format, it is not expected to go on for more than 22 minutes – after four quarters of four minutes each with a two-minute break between each quarter. A rugby union game, on the other hand, spans a total of 80 minutes that is divided into two halves of 40 minutes each.
Where can I watch the live coverage of the inaugural Rugby Premier League?
The 2025 Rugby Premier League will be telecast on the Star Sports Network and will also be streamed live on JioHotstar.
Full schedule of Rugby Premier League 2025
The inaugural RPL season will take place from 15 to 29 June. Here’s the detailed schedule for the season:
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