New Delhi, June 15 (IANS) Indian rugby star Sumit Roy Kumar believes his status as the highest-priced player in the Rugby Premier League (RPL) Season 2 auction is not a burden but a reflection of years of dedication to the sport.

The second season of the Rugby Premier League, the world’s first franchise-based rugby sevens competition, gets underway on June 16. After making its debut in 2025 with six city-based teams. The league has expanded this year with the introduction of a women’s edition featuring four teams.

Among the teams looking to build on a successful first campaign are Hyderabad Heroes, who finished with the bronze medal in the inaugural season. The franchise enjoyed an unbeaten run through the league stage before suffering their only defeat in the knockouts. Ahead of Season 2, Hyderabad retained Spanish star Manuel Moreno and Kenyan international Kevin Wekesa, and successfully brought back several members of last year’s core group, including Indian standout Sumit.

The former India captain was one of the most sought-after names at the auction and eventually emerged as the highest-priced player heading into the new season. However, Sumit insists the distinction only strengthens his resolve.

“Yes, I see it as a recognition of my years of hard work, because I feel that I am here because I have done so much hard work, so I don’t feel any pressure for it. Yes, I get motivation from myself, because the hard work I have done is a motivation for me,” Sumit told IANS in an exclusive conversation.

Having captained India’s Under-20 side at the Asia Rugby Sevens Championship and represented the senior national team, Sumit has steadily grown into one of the leading faces of Indian rugby. Reflecting on his evolution as a leader, he credited the lessons he learned from former captains and the importance of fostering team unity.

“I have learned a lot from my previous captain of the under-20s, how to lead a team, because a team is a team spirit, a team game, so how to lead a team, if someone has a problem, how to solve it, there is no such thing that there is no solution to the problem, there is a solution to every problem,” he said.

Those leadership qualities are expected to play an important role for Hyderabad Heroes, whose squad features players from multiple rugby-playing nations. Sumit said communication and camaraderie have helped bridge cultural differences within the dressing room.

“There are players from different countries here, some from Spain, some from Kenya, they have come from very different places, so it takes a little time to make a connection with them, but they are such players that it does not seem that they are playing with them for the first time after so many days, it seems that they have been playing with them for many years.

“So talking to them, they observe us very quickly, they understand us, so it becomes easy for me to communicate with them, so I got used to laughing and joking with them everywhere,” he added.

Sumit was also part of the Indian squad that secured a historic silver medal at the CASA 7s earlier this year, one of the strongest indicators yet of the national team’s progress on the international stage. While pleased with the strides India has made, he believes greater exposure against top-level opposition remains essential.

“We do hard work, but we still have to play more tournaments, play with experienced players, like RPL, we have a series after this, so we will meet good teams there, like Hong Kong, Japan, so our progress is still continuing.

“But if not this year, then next year or the year next, we do wish to compete at the highest level with the best teams in the world,” he said.

The 24-year-old also highlighted the importance of the Rugby Premier League in accelerating the growth of Indian players through exposure to some of the sport’s biggest international names.

“First of all, this platform is not big or small, everyone is the same here, so we have to learn from the legends who have come from abroad, what to do, how to do it, we have to take experience, so this will bring some changes in our Indian team, when we go out to play, we will apply all this, so it will be very useful for us,” he stated.

Asked about one of Indian rugby’s most influential figures, Rahul Bose, Sumit pointed to the veteran’s perseverance as a defining lesson for the next generation.

“I have learned from him that you should never give up, he has never given up, so we are here because of him, we are all Indian players here, he trusted himself, he worked very hard for us, so just believe in yourself.”

As Hyderabad Heroes prepare to launch another title challenge, Sumit’s focus remains firmly on growth, both for himself and for Indian rugby. With the Rugby Premier League entering its second season and continuing to attract international talent, the Indian star sees the competition as a valuable platform in the country’s pursuit of becoming a force on the Asian and global rugby stage.

–IANS

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