Could the Rugby Premier League boost the Sport in India?

Nearly 150 years after the Calcutta Football Club’s closure led to the birth of rugby’s oldest international trophy, India is once again trying to make its mark on the sport, this time through the Rugby Premier League (RPL), a new sevens competition that was launched in June 2025.

The RPL brings together top international players and domestic talent.

While the inaugural edition is now over, it hopes to boost interest in rugby in India and position the country as a future contender on the global stage, including at the Olympics.

The league adopts broadcast-friendly rule tweaks and a franchise model to attract both viewers and players.

Each squad includes five world-class “marquee” players, five Indian athletes, and three “bridge” internationals, creating a blend designed to inspire and elevate local talent.

Satyam Trivedi, chief executive of GMR Sports, the RPL’s co-organiser, said:

“Rugby in India is not so popular and not because it’s not played, it’s played in more than 250 districts in India and there’s a lot of talent pool available, but because people have not seen it.

“It has not been commercialised, originally or globally. It is a very aspirational sport. In countries like the UK, Australia, New Zealand, it’s a private-school sport, which is not how it is seen in India.

“I’m sure with the league getting commercials, going on broadcast, some of the finest athletes of the world coming and participating, the audiences will see it and the sport will catch up.”

Backing From Rugby Legends and Global Players

Scott Curry, who played 321 matches for New Zealand’s All Blacks Sevens, joined the Bengaluru Bravehearts and sees the RPL model as a sign of things to come.

He said: “The World Series has been changing a lot and there’s a little bit of uncertainty there but to see something like this, a franchise league… I think it could be the future of the game going forward for sure.

“Having franchises where players from all over the world can come and play together along with local Indian players is really exciting for our sport.”

Spaniard Manuel Moreno, part of the World Sevens Series dream team last season and has since joined the Hyderabad Heroes, believes India may have a shot at Olympic qualification sooner than many think.

“[India] can do it in the next Olympic cycle.

“There are only two or three big teams in Asia. So I think they have a real possibility to be in the Los Angeles Games in 2028.”

That’s an ambitious claim. India’s men’s team finished seventh in the Asian qualifiers for Paris 2024, while the women placed sixth.

But playing alongside seasoned internationals may offer the sort of exposure and match sharpness that’s been lacking.

Aiming for the Olympics

Rugby India, another co-organiser of the RPL, sees the league as a platform to boost national interest ahead of a potential bid to host the 2036 Summer Olympics.

Actor and Rugby India President Rahul Bose said: “After Indian hockey, we want to be the second team, and by that time [2036], it’ll be 80 years that there’s no other team that’s gone to the Olympics from India.”

India has a long history with rugby, despite it being a niche sport.

The Calcutta Cup, awarded in annual matches between England and Scotland, originated from leftover funds of the defunct Calcutta Football Club in 1878.

However, domestic momentum has been slow, limited by low visibility and a lack of structured investment.

Sevens at a Crossroads Globally

The launch of the RPL comes at a turbulent time for sevens rugby. Despite growing international popularity following its Olympic debut in Rio 2016, financial cuts have taken their toll.

Ireland recently scrapped its men’s programme entirely, while Britain’s men’s and women’s squads are set to go part-time by the end of July.

In response, World Rugby has announced a restructuring of the sevens calendar. A new three-division format starting in 2026 will aim to reduce costs and make the game more competitive and sustainable.

With uncertainty hanging over the World Series, the RPL’s franchise-based, commercially driven structure could become an attractive alternative, not just for India, but as a global template.

The league’s ambitions are bold, but its organisers believe that combining elite performance with mass appeal is the way forward.

They also hope the RPL can tap into the passion of Indian sports fans who have embraced leagues in cricket, football and kabaddi.

And while it’s too early to predict if India will qualify for the Olympics or become a sevens powerhouse, the RPL could be the start of something significant.

Because if Indian fans embrace the sport, and its players get the right exposure, rugby in the country might no longer just be about a cup that belongs to England and Scotland, but about a new league shaping rugby’s future.