Rugby Premier League preview for matches on June 18

Mumbai, June 18: The first game of the day will see the Chennai Bulls square off against the Kalinga Black Tigers. The Bulls have been the most dominant teams so far with three wins in a row and are on top of the table as they look to extend their winning run. Meanwhile, the Black Tigers will be eager to bounce back after a tough defeat in their previous outing, according to a release from Rugby Premier League.

In the second match, the Mumbai Dreamers take on the Delhi Redz. Dreamers will look to notch their first win of the tournament, while the Redz will be eyeing to register more points on board with just one draw under their belt.

Top 5 Players to watch out for today at the Rugby Premier League

Vaafauese Maliko (Chennai Bulls)

The league leader in tries with five successful tries and joint highest points scorer in the tournament so far with 25 points to his name, Vaafauese Maliko is one of the most dominant players of the inaugural season of RPL and is key to Chennai Bulls' strong position in the standings. The 26-year-old Samoan hybrid player is in an exceptional vein of form.

Terry Kennedy (Chennai Bulls)

A prolific scorer and a key attacking threat, Terry Kennedy is one of the best players participating in the league and is surely living up to that potential. Third highest in points with 17 to his name and successfully converting three tries so far, the Irish hybrid powerhouse is a gamechanger in the ranks of Chennai Bulls.

Matias Osadczuk (Delhi Redz)

With 16 points in just two games, Matias Osadczuk can cause major troubles for the opposing sides on the field. The 28-year-old Argentine has also scored three conversions and is a major threat to the opposition's backline.

Patrick Odongo (Delhi Redz)

Another player from the Delhi Redz setup, Patrick Odongo is in a good run of form in the two games played so far. Apart from his defensive contributions at the back, Odongo is also a crucial player in the attack having scored two tries and winning ten points for his side in two appearances.

Lucas Lacamp (Kalinga Black Tigers)

Despite Kalinga Black Tigers' struggles on the pitch, Lucas Lacamp has impressed everyone with his defensive contributions. With eight tackles already, he is a difficult player to get past and will be critical for the Black Tigers as they face a strong opposition.

Reader Comments

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Rahul K.

Chennai Bulls are on fire! 🔥 Maliko and Kennedy are absolute beasts on the field. As a rugby newbie from Bangalore, I'm loving how this league is growing our sports culture. Hope we get more teams from South India next season!

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Priya M.

Excited for the Mumbai vs Delhi match! Dreamers need to step up their game today. The foreign players are really raising the standard of Indian rugby. Though I wish we could see more Indian players in the 'top players' list.

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Arjun S.

Black Tigers need to pull up their socks today! Lacamp is doing great defensively but they need more attacking options. Hope the Odisha crowd comes out in full support 🤞 Rugby deserves more attention in India.

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Neha T.

The hybrid player concept is interesting but I worry it might limit opportunities for Indian players to shine. That said, the quality of play has definitely improved. Osadczuk from Delhi is my favorite to watch - such finesse!

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Vikram J.

As someone who played rugby in college, it's heartening to see this league take off. The Chennai-Delhi rivalry is becoming intense! Though the broadcast quality could be better - sometimes hard to follow the action clearly.

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Sunita R.

My son has started playing rugby because of this league! 😊 Hope the Mumbai team gets their first win today. The foreign players are great, but let's not forget our own talent like Nasser Hussain from the Bulls who's been solid.

We welcome thoughtful discussions from our readers. Please keep comments respectful and on-topic.