New Delhi, June 15 (IANS) Hyderabad Heroes captain Manuel Moreno believes a single difficult spell during the inaugural Rugby Premier League (RPL) season offered one of the biggest lessons of his career as the Spanish star prepares to lead the franchise into the competition’s second edition.

The Rugby Premier League, the world’s first franchise-based rugby sevens league, returns on June 16 after a successful debut season in 2025. Founded in 2024 to accelerate the growth and popularity of rugby sevens, the league initially featured six city-based teams. It expanded in 2026 with the introduction of a women’s competition comprising four teams.

Among the standout performers from the inaugural season were Hyderabad Heroes, who enjoyed an unbeaten run through the league stage before eventually securing the bronze medal. The franchise has retained much of the core that powered last year’s campaign, with Moreno and Kenyan international Kevin Wekesa retained ahead of the auction, before several key players, including Sumit Roy Kumar, Sambit Pradhan, and Wolfram Hacker, returned to the squad.

Reflecting on Hyderabad’s impressive first season, Moreno said the team’s lone defeat proved how quickly fortunes can change in rugby.

“Hyderabad Heroes was unbeaten all of last season in quite a considerable way, just one bad game, which is just 16 bad minutes, and the result was completely different from what we were aiming for last season, which is something that can teach a rugby player a lot,” Moreno told IANS in an exclusive interaction.

“This reiterates the fact that the result in a game of rugby can change within minutes and that being prepared in those moments and being able to pivot strategy is most crucial. In our case, it was the difference between a chance to fight for the gold and the bronze medal. But we move on as a squad and learn from that,” he added.

Away from rugby, Moreno balances a demanding schedule that includes medical studies while also pursuing modelling assignments. The Spanish international believes managing those different pursuits has strengthened his approach to both life and sport.

“The biggest thing that this has taught me is to take things one at a time, doing everything all at once or thinking about everything as a whole can get overwhelming,” he said.

“This can be translated to the field of rugby as well, where sometimes breaking down a strategy or looking at a problem in isolation can help turn games around faster. The key is to slow things down and never lose perspective of your goal,” he added.

Moreno, who captained Hyderabad Heroes in Season 1, remains one of the most decorated players in the competition. The Spaniard was named among the 14 best rugby sevens players at the World Rugby Sevens Series in Toulouse in 2023, represented Spain at the European Games the same year, and was selected in the 2024-25 SVNS Dream Team of the Year in May 2025.

Despite being recognised among the world’s elite players through his inclusion in the SVNS Dream Team of the Year, Moreno insists rugby continues to provide constant opportunities for improvement.

“Every day on the rugby field is a humbling experience. As a player, there are always facets of the game that we are actively trying to improve. With the introduction of newer players, the game of rugby is extremely dynamic, and it is extremely important to keep learning and growing,” he said.

One of the biggest challenges in franchise rugby is bringing together players from different countries, backgrounds, and playing styles. For Moreno, adaptability and open-mindedness remain central to building a successful team environment.

“When you play with such a diverse bunch of players, it is always important to keep an open mind and understand the different styles that everyone brings to the table,” he explained.

“It is not just about how I play or the Spanish play, since the majority of the squad consists of players from everywhere else. The most important thing for me as a leader also is to understand the possibilities of playing the way I play within the Spanish team and how I can play and get the best of myself and the squad within an international group of players,” he mentioned.

As Hyderabad Heroes chase a deeper run in Season 2, Moreno believes the experiences of the inaugural campaign have left the squad better prepared for the challenges ahead. With a settled core, international experience across the roster, and lessons learned from a near-flawless first season, the Spanish captain will once again be at the heart of Hyderabad’s pursuit of RPL glory.

–IANS

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