Mumbai, June 14 (IANS) Rugby royalty showcased an exciting preview of the upcoming action in store during the launch press conference of the inaugural season of GMR Rugby Premier League. Present on the occasion were the team coaches and marquee players from their respective franchises.

From Hyderabad Heroes, coach DJ Forbes, along with Prince Khatri and Manuel Moreno, from Chennai Bulls, coach Ben Gollongs and Alex Davis, and Bengaluru Bravehearts, Mohit Khatri and Pol Pla, along with their coach Pack Hernandez, were present.

Also in attendance were coach Tomasi Cama, Deepak Punia, and Matias Osadczuk of Delhi Redz, coach Mike Friday, Asis Sabr and Maurice Longbottom of Kalinga Black Tigers, and lastly from Mumbai Dreamers, coach Tim Walsh, Akash Balmiki and James Turner.

The team coaches and players of the respective franchises shared their thoughts ahead of the season.

The media were addressed by the CEO of GMR Sports, Satyam Trivedi, and Rugby India President Rahul Bose, who were then joined by all six franchise owners for a photo opportunity.

The media also got a chance to witness the players in action as they passed the ball around and explained the rules of the game to the media.

CEO of GMR Sports Satyam Trivedi stated, “This league has it all to make it big and successful in India. It is both a great broadcast product and a great on-ground property, and we are very proud of this partnership with Rugby India.

President of Rugby India, Rahul Bose, spoke along similar lines and stated, “It is truly incredible what we have managed to do here. We have big names from all over the world of rugby playing together as teammates. Looking forward to the high-octane action we are about to witness over the next few days.”

The Rugby Premier League is set to commence on Sunday (June 15) with six teams, Bengaluru Bravehearts, Chennai Bulls, Delhi Redz, Hyderabad Heroes, Kalinga Black Tigers, and Mumbai Dreamers fighting for glory.

Each team will comprise five foreign players, five domestic players, and three from bridge nations — countries in the second and third tiers in the world rugby hierarchy.

Each match will be of 16-minute duration, divided into four quarters. With the clock being stopped for each transgression, decision, and injury, each match will be of 23-30 minutes duration. Four matches will be held each evening. All matches will be played at the Andheri Sports Complex in Mumbai.

–IANS

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