Key Points

The Chennai Bulls delivered a commanding performance, defeating the Kalinga Black Tigers 40-21 with standout plays from Vaafauese Maliko. Meanwhile, the Hyderabad Heroes dominated the Delhi Redz 40-19, thanks to Lautaro Velez’s impressive contributions. Both matches highlighted the competitive spirit of RPL Season 1. Fans were treated to high-energy rugby action at the Shahaji Raje Bhosale Sports Complex.

Key Points: Chennai Bulls and Hyderabad Heroes Dominate RPL Season 1 Matches

  • Chennai Bulls overpower Kalinga Black Tigers 40-21 with Vaafauese Maliko leading the charge
  • Hyderabad Heroes dominate Delhi Redz 40-19 with Lautaro Velez excelling
  • Rugby Premier League Season 1 showcases high-scoring matches
  • Strong performances set the tone for upcoming RPL fixtures
3 min read

Chennai Bulls, Hyderabad Heroes register big wins in season 1 of RPL

Chennai Bulls crush Kalinga Black Tigers 40-21 while Hyderabad Heroes overpower Delhi Redz 40-19 in RPL Season 1 action.

"The Bulls had stormed into a 12-point lead by the end of the third quarter, and they continued to dominate proceedings. – RPL Press Release"

Mumbai, June 26

The Chennai Bulls and the Hyderabad Heroes put on quite the show for their fans, as they won at a canter against the Kalinga Black Tigers and the Delhi Redz, respectively, during Season 1 of the Rugby Premier League (RPL), at the at the Shahaji Raje Bhosale Sports Complex, here, in Mumbai.

In the first game of the day, the Chennai Bulls outclassed the Kalinga Black Tigers 40-21. From the get-go, the Chennai Bulls were looking to put a lot of pressure on the Kalinga Black Tigers' defence. And it was the Bulls who had the better of the early exchanges, as Vaafauese Maliko sprinted down the wing to get his try. Shortly after, the Tigers got on the scoresheet with Kyle Tremblay's try and Maurice Longbottom's conversion.

Manueli Maisamoa then extended the lead for the Tigers with his try and Ethan Turner's conversion; however, it was all Chennai after that. For the Bulls, Joseva Talacolo added a try and Vaafauese Maliko went over the line a couple of more times whilst Gaurav Kumar converted all his kicks, as per a press release from RPL.

The Bulls had stormed into a 12-point lead by the end of the third quarter, and they continued to dominate proceedings in the final phase of play as well. Filipe Sauturaga got on the scoresheet with a try and a conversion, and Alexander Davis's try was complemented by Joseva Talacolo's conversion. For the Tigers, Lucas Lacamp scored a try in the final minutes, but it was too little too late.

In the second game of the night, the Hyderabad Heroes stamped their authority over their opponents, as they defeated the Delhi Redz 40-19. The Delhi Redz, who have one eye on the final semi-final spot, had a bright start with Jordan Conroy scoring a try. From then on in, the Hyderabad Heroes grabbed the contest by the scruff of the neck as Javed Hussain scored yet another try.

That was followed up by Lautaro Velez and Kevin Wekesa getting over the line with ease, while Velez scored three converting kicks. Quarter 3 saw Wolfram Hacker cross the line as well, giving the Heroes a solid 26-5 lead.

The Heroes were quite literally running away with the game as Joji Nasova raced through the heart of the Redz's defence and Velez added two more points to the cause. Before the third quarter was over, Velez added another seven points to the cause. With a quarter to go in the game, the Heroes led 40-5.

In the final quarter, Patrick Okongo added two more tries, and Matias Osadczuk and Alejandro Laforga scored their kicks as well. But the Heroes had done enough to come away with the win.

- ANI

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Reader Comments

R
Rahul K.
What an exciting start to RPL! Chennai Bulls were unstoppable today. Maliko's performance was 🔥! Great to see rugby getting this kind of platform in India. Hope more cities get teams next season!
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Priya M.
Hyderabad Heroes completely dominated! But I wish there were more Indian players in key positions. Most scorers seem to be foreign players. We need to develop our homegrown talent too.
A
Arjun S.
Finally some quality rugby action in India! The matches were thrilling, though the stadium looked half empty. Hope more people turn up for future games. This sport deserves more love!
S
Sneha V.
Gaurav Kumar's conversions were on point today! 👏 It's great to see Indian players holding their own alongside international stars. Maybe next season we'll have teams from Kolkata and Bangalore too?
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Vikram J.
The energy was electric! But the commentary needs improvement - they kept mixing up player names. For a new league, presentation quality matters as much as the game itself.
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Neha P.
As someone who played rugby in college, this makes me so happy! The level of play was impressive. Hope schools start taking rugby seriously now. Who knows, we might produce Olympic-level players soon!

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