Rugby Premier League official ball unveiled ahead of season 2
Hyderabad, June 15
The Rugby Premier League on Monday unveiled the official ball ahead of the start of Season 2 in Hyderabad.
The unveiling brought together captains from all 10 teams, a day before the League is set to kick off in the Gachibowli Stadium, along with Rugby India President and League Commissioner, Rahul Bose and GMR Sports CMO, Sujoy Ganguly, according to a press release.
Representing the men's teams at the ceremony were Delhi Redz' Captain Patrick Odongo, Hyderabad Heroes' Captain Manuel Moreno, Kolkata Banga Tigers' Captain Ricardo Duarttee, Chennai Bulls' Captain Santiago Alvarez, Mumbai Dreamers' Captain Impi Visser and Bengaluru Bravehearts' Captain Ngarohi McGarvey-Black.
Representing the women's teams are Delhi Redz' Captain Eden Kilgour, Kolkata Banga Tigers' Captain Shiniqwa Lamprecht, Chennai Bulls' Captain Chantelle Miell and Mumbai Dreamers' Captain Abigail Brown.
Ahead of the unveiling, Rahul Bose conducted a Rugby Primer along with 6 boys and 6 girls from Telangana Rugby, highlighting five key aspects of the game:
Run Forward, Pass Backwards: Players advance towards the opposition's try line but can only pass the ball sideways or backwards to teammates.
Tackle to Win Possession: Defenders stop the attacking team by tackling the player carrying the ball.
Release the Ball After a Tackle: Once tackled, a player must immediately place or release the ball behind them, allowing teammates to continue play.
Kick as a Tactical Weapon: Players can kick the ball forward to gain territory or create attacking opportunities, with teammates chasing to regain possession.
Score a Try: The objective of the game is to carry the ball over the opposition's try line and ground it to score a try.
— ANI
Reader Comments
Exciting times for Indian rugby! The women's teams look strong with captains from around the world. Wish the league would highlight more Indian players in leadership roles though - we need homegrown captains to inspire our youth. Still, great step forward!
Hyderabad hosting again - fantastic! Gachibowli Stadium is world-class. The primer explaining rugby basics is brilliant, especially for us cricket fans who don't know much. Run forward, pass backward - got it! 😄 Hope this league makes rugby more popular across India.
Love that women's rugby is getting equal spotlight! Captain Abigail Brown, Shiniqwa Lamprecht - these are great role models for girls in India. The primer with Telangana kids shows real commitment to growing the sport. Kudos to GMR Sports and Rugby India! 👏
Good initiative but I wish we had more Indian representation among the captains. All men's captains are foreigners - that shows where we are in rugby development. Hope the league focuses on nurturing local talent alongside international stars. Baby steps...
The Rugby Primer concept is genius! With cricket and kabaddi dominating, rugby needs to be explained simply. 'Run forward, pass backward' - even my mother understood this! 😂 Great marketing by RPL to make the sport accessible. Can't wait for the matches!
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