The inaugural edition of the Rugby Premier League India will take flight after much delay and postponement in Mumbai on Sunday, June 15. It will be Rugby 7s to start off, the T20 format of the original rugby, which is a 15-player-a-side game of 80 minutes. This is crispier, quicker and adrenaline-filled with something happening every minute or so and to build an audience base and introduce it to a whole new generation of sports watchers in India, Rahul Bose and Co wouldn't have opted for a better format.
Delhi Redz, Bengaluru Bravehearts, Kalinga Black Tigers, Chennai Bulls, Hyderabad Heroes, and Mumbai Dreamers are six teams which will be up against each other in a round-robin format, twice. The top four teams will take each other on in the semi-finals after 30 league matches and the two winners will grab a spot in the final to challenge for the maiden title. Each team has a squad of 13 players, including eight overseas and five Indians. Out of seven players at any point of time, there will be two marquee players, two bridge players, two Indian players and the remaining one can be either of the three.
When is the first season of the Rugby Premier League taking place?
The inaugural edition of the Rugby Premier League India will take place from June 15-29.
What is the format of the Rugby 7s for Rugby Premier League India?
All the rules of the regular rugby games will apply to the inaugural edition of RPL India. However, it will be a 16-minute game (as opposed to the 14-minute game of two halves), divided into four quarters each.
What will be the match timings?
Every day on the weekdays, there will be double-headers; however, on the weekends (including Friday), there will be triple-headers. On a day when there are three matches, the timings will be 7:45 PM, 8:25 PM and 9:05 PM, while the timings remain the same for the double-headers - 7:45 PM and 8:25 PM. On the day of the final, the first match will be a third place between the losers of the two semi-finals, followed by the final at 8:25 PM IST.
Where will the inaugural Rugby Premier League take place?
The six-team competition will take place in Mumbai at the Brihanmumbai Kreeda Ani Lalitkala Prarthisthan Andheri Sports Complex (Mumbai Football Arena, MFA).
When and where to watch RPL India 2025 on TV and online?
The inaugural edition of the Rugby Premier League India will be broadcast live on TV on Star Sports Network, while all matches can be streamed live on the JioHotstar app and the website.
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