According to the Sporting Nation report by GroupM, the sports industry, primarily driven by cricket, produced a total business of `16,733 crore in 2024, of which 85% belonged to cricket, while 15% belonged to emerging sports. Given that, a new league representing the game of rugby is bound to raise eyebrows.
But Rahul Bose, president of Rugby India, phoo-phoos any skepticism saying the sport is in fact widely played outside of urban areas and metros. “The playing interest in rugby so far is in 322 districts out of 760, which is about 40% of the country’s districts. The profile of the average Indian rugby player is different from the average rugby fan, which will be cultivated through the Rugby Premier League (RPL),” Bose says.
Despite the apparent lack of awareness about rugby among urban audiences, he says that tickets for the first game of the inaugural league, launched by Rugby India and GMR Sports, as well as that of all the weekend games were completely sold out.
The league, which will be hosting its last game on June 29, is being played in Mumbai and features six teams — Delhi Redz, Hyderabad Heroes, Bengaluru Bravehearts, Mumbai Dreamers, Kalinga Black Tigers (Odisha) and Chennai Bulls.
The league has big broadcasters and advertisers on its side too. It is being broadcast on TV and OTT by JioStar, and aside from the title sponsor GMR Sports, brands such as HSBC, Encalm, Capgemini, Bisleri, Dream11, Amul and Hero Fincorp are partnering the league.
The RPL has roped in popular stars such as Abhishek Bachchan, Tiger Shroff, Farhan Akhtar and Sunil Chhetri for its digital campaign. Satyam Trivedi, CEO of GMR Sports, expects the RPL to drive awareness and interest in the sport among urban audiences. “Rugby is a popular sport played in over 120 countries. It’s also an Olympics sport and short format with all the ingredients to become a great sports entertainment property. It is just a matter of time before young talent from India emerges, becoming heroes of our sporting world,” he says.
Playing to win
Experts note that the sport definitely holds potential for growth. “Emerging sports like pickleball and paddle are encouraging people to step out and play, beyond spectatorship. Rugby holds a similar promise with its physicality and team dynamics,” says Jigar Rambhia, head of Fuse India, Omnicom Media Group’s sports and entertainment arm.
The new league can take a leaf out of successful properties like the Pro Kabaddi League, says Santosh N, managing partner at D&P Advisory. “Rugby can learn from football and kabaddi’s regional branding, player auctions and strong community engagement,” he says, adding that the creation of local team rivalries and building aspirational Indian icons will be key to the league’s growth.
“Most people are surprised to learn how widely rugby is played in India but the challenge is that it still operates under the radar,” says Sidharth Menda, supervisory board member at global alternative asset owner RMZ, which has made a strategic foray into rugby with its ownership of the Delhi Redz franchise. “We’re working to change the way rugby is perceived not just by putting the sport on screen, but by giving fans something to connect with emotionally, whether it is through school tournaments or community events.”
Mihir Menda, member of the supervisory board, RMZ, adds that since Delhi is the only north Indian franchise in the RPL, it provides a clear runway to tap into the passion of the entire region where contact sports already have deep cultural connect.