Surprising Rise Of Rugby Happened In India 2025
Well, I don’t know if you have already read my previous post on Rugby, if not you can check that out. If already been done, and just wanted to know about how this foreign sport came life in India? Then let’s dive into the Surprising Rise Of Rugby Happened In India 2025.
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Surprising Rise Of Rugby Happened In India 2025
History Of Rugby
Rugby is a high-intensity contact team sport known for its physicality, tactical play, and unmatched excitement. The game is played between two teams of 15 players (Rugby Union) or 13 players (Rugby League), which involves carrying, passing, kicking, and grounding the ball in the opponent’s try zone to score points.
Rugby originated in 1823 in Rugby School, England, when student William Webb Ellis reportedly broke the rules of a football game and ran with the ball. This act laid the foundation for the sport. (Funny isn’t it, like breaking rules gave birth to such an exciting new sport).
By 1871, the Rugby Football Union (RFU) was formed in England, and the sport quickly spread across the British Empire. Two main formats emerged—Rugby Union and Rugby League—due to differences over amateur and professional play.
In 1987, the first Rugby World Cup was held, solidifying rugby as a truly global sport.
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History Of Rugby In India
Rugby was first introduced to India in the 19th century by British colonialists, particularly military officers and civil servants. It was initially played in army cantonments, schools, and by refugee clubs in cities like Calcutta, Bombay (Mumbai), and Madras (Chennai).
One of the earliest formal clubs built was the Calcutta Football Club, established in 1872. After a match against a visiting Royal Navy team, the club disbanded—but not before melting down their remaining funds into a silver trophy, the Calcutta Cup, which remains one of the oldest and most prestigious trophies in the sport, now contested between England and Scotland.
Despite early exposure, rugby failed to take root among the Indian population at the time due to a lack of access, awareness, and infrastructure.
After independence in 1947, rugby got overshadowed by sports like Cricket, football, and field hockey, which dominated India’s sports landscape.
The sport saw little formal structure until 1998, when the Indian Rugby Football Union (IRFU) was formed. Later renamed as Rugby India, the body became affiliated with the International Rugby Board (IRB) in 2001, allowing India to officially participate in global competitions.
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Rise of Rugby in India
Since the 2000s, Rugby India has worked hard to establish a grassroots movement and introduce the sport to a wider audience. Some key developments in this journey include:
Introduction of Rugby Sevens in schools and colleges for faster learning.
Participation in the Asia Rugby Championships and other regional events.
Government and private partnerships for funding and infrastructure.
Training of coaches and referees through World Rugby programs.
A major turning point was the development of women’s rugby. The Indian Women’s Rugby Sevens team achieved its first international win in 2019, bringing attention and credibility to the sport at home.
States like Odisha, Maharashtra, Punjab, and West Bengal are leading the charge, integrating rugby into school sports and offering training academies. Odisha, in particular, has become a hub for talent thanks to support from Kalinga Institute of Social Sciences (KISS).
India’s best players now train overseas or with international coaches, raising the standard of play. Friendly matches with teams from Sri Lanka, UAE, and Hong Kong are helping players gain valuable experience.
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About India’s Rugby Premier League 2025
The GMR Rugby Premier League (RPL)—the world’s first franchise-based Rugby Sevens league—launched in June 2025 in Mumbai, co-organized by Rugby India and GMR Sports
Match Format & Schedule
A compressed 15‑day tournament (June 15–29) staged 34 matches at the Mumbai Football Arena, Andheri Sports Complex
Each game lasted 22 minutes (four 4‑minute quarters with 2‑minute breaks), with weekdays hosting two matches per night and weekends three per night.
Tournament format: double round robin of 30 pool games (10 per team), followed by semi‑finals, a bronze match, and the final
Teams Participated
Six franchises competed:
Mumbai Dreamers
Delhi Redz
Bengaluru Bravehearts
Chennai Bulls
Hyderabad Heroes
Kalinga Black Tigers
Each team with a 13-player squad featuring: 5 marquee (popular) international stars, 3 “bridge” internationals (e.g. players from Canada, Germany, Kenya), 5 Indian players drawn from a 71-member auction pool
On-field team of seven: 2 internationals, 2 bridge, 2 Indians, 1 coach’s choice at all times
Significance for Indian Rugby
The Rugby Premier League (RPL) is India’s first franchise-based Sevens tournament. It brought together domestic talent and global stars, giving fans a taste of top-tier rugby.
Though rugby is played in over 250 Indian districts, it lacks visibility and commercial support, which RPL is changing by making the sport more marketable and fan-friendly.
This exposure could boost India’s chances for the 2028 or 2032 Olympics. Sports leaders are confident it will fast-track national progress.
Even French rugby officials called RPL “an interesting try” and praised it as a model worth following globally.
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If you enjoy reading it, comment below and leave your suggestions and any other topics that I should write about in the comments. Don’t just read alone, share it with others, in this way everybody will enjoy it. I will be back soon with another game or related info. Till then…
—DHANYAVAAD—