Rugby Premier League: Mumbai Dreamers move to top of the table in Season 2
Hyderabad, June 19
Mumbai Dreamers beat Delhi Redz comfortably to move to the top of the table, while Chennai Bulls edged over Delhi Redz on the fourth day of Season 2 of the Rugby Premier League being played at the Ganti Mohana Chandra Balayogi Athletic Stadium in Gachibowli in Hyderabad on Friday.
In the men's section, Mumbai Dreamers defeated Delhi Redz 31-14 in a preliminary league match.
After a tightly contested opening quarter, Mumbai Dreamers broke the deadlock through Neeraj Khatri before James Turner quickly added another to put them in control. Delhi Redz responded in the second quarter with some slick passing, allowing Josep Serres to score their first try.
Guillaume Bouche restored Mumbai's cushion before the break, while Patrick Odongo's counterattacking try kept Delhi in the contest. However, the Dreamers controlled possession and territory in the second half to maintain their advantage and secure a comfortable 31-14 victory.
Chennai Bulls edge Delhi Redz 31-27 in women's clash
Eden Kilgour gave Delhi Redz an early lead, but Adia Pye responded immediately for Chennai Bulls. Lavena Cavuru's interception try swung momentum back to Delhi, with Kilgour and Cavuru adding further scores as the Redz built a healthy advantage.
The Bulls fought back strongly through Savannah Bauder and Larah Wright in the third quarter before Pye put Chennai ahead for the first time in the final period. Kilgour restored Delhi's lead, but Bauder broke free in extra time to complete a dramatic comeback victory for the Bulls.
Later in the day, the women's franchise Mumbai Dreamers will face the Kolkata Banga Tigers. And the men's teams Bengaluru Bravehearts will play against the Kolkata Banga Tigers in the last match of the day.
Earlier, Bengaluru Bravehearts, Delhi Redz (women), and hosts Hyderabad Heroes registered victories in Hyderabad on Thursday.
Bengaluru Bravehearts made a strong start through Akuila Rokolisoa, but Patrick Odongo's interception try quickly levelled the scores for Delhi Redz. Shilton van Wyk then scored twice to restore Bengaluru's advantage, before Luciano Gonzalez and Odongo helped the Redz take the lead. Van Wyk completed his hat-trick early in the second half, while Gonzalez answered with another brilliant individual try. Ngarohi McGarvey kept the Bravehearts ahead before Ryan Apps' long-range effort in the final quarter sealed the victory.
— IANS
Reader Comments
The women's match was absolutely thrilling! Chennai Bulls coming back from behind to win in extra time 😍 So proud to see women's rugby getting this kind of coverage and competition. We need more investments in grassroots for this sport in India.
Mumbai Dreamers dominating the table! 🚀 The team is well-balanced with strong scrum-half play. But we need more Indian players in starting XV - only Neeraj and maybe one other. The RPL should have a rule to develop local talent for national team.
As someone who played rugby in college in the UK, it's fantastic to see the sport growing in India. The quality of play in RPL Season 2 looks impressive - some real running rugby with tries. Good to see Indian sponsors backing this too.
That Chennai Bulls vs Delhi Redz women's match was edge-of-the-seat stuff! 🔥 Full credit to Savannah Bauder for that extra-time winner. But honestly, the coverage of this league is still poor - I had to search for the fixtures online. Come on, sports broadcasters!
Rugby in Hyderabad? Never thought I'd see the day! 🏟️ The Gachibowli stadium is a great venue. RPL is doing wonders for rugby's popularity. Now we need more schools and colleges to take it up seriously. Cricket will always be No.1, but rugby has its own charm.
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