Rugby Premier League: How actor Rahul Bose is leading a crusade in India

Rahul Bose is no stranger to the idea of ‘double roles’ – to borrow a term from the lexicon of cinema. If he has been a directors’ delight with his performances in countless critically acclaimed films, the other avatar of him had been that of an international rugby player for over 11 years and now a leading crusader of the game as the President of Indian Rugby Football Union (IRFU).    

The adrenalin rush in him is palpable ever since his dream project, the first-ever Sevens rugby franchise league in the country – GMR Rugby Premier League (RPL) has kicked off at the Andheri Sports Complex in Mumbai from 15 June. A six-team, 34-match affair which has the final scheduled on 29 June, promises to open up a new chapter in the franchise league sports revolution of the country. ‘’The product has exceeded our expectations,’’ tells Bose, who had been chasing the dream for quite a few years now.

Names like Delhi Redz, Chennai Bulls, Mumbai Dreamers or Bangalore Bravehearts may not immediately ring a bell in a cricket-crazy country, but the Sevens rugby has all the viewership potential in the world. While the physically demanding sport is deemed as a niche one in India, the Rugby World Cup (15-a-side) is acknowledged as the second biggest World Cup event after football, the shorter and intense Sevens format is the one which has made it’s Olympics centry since Rio 2016. India women’s team took their bow in the last Asian Games as well.

Rugby Premier League: How actor Rahul Bose is close to achieving a pet project

Taking time out from his hectic schedule, Bose told National Herald in an exclusive interview that his biggest challenge ever since the announcement of the league last year was to ensure a quality product from the word go. ‘’ Our biggest concern was about what quality we are getting on-board. Nothing would be vindicated if the product was not upto the mark and to that extent, we are very happy with the start. The league is in it’s first week and we don’t have the viewership figures yet, but we have learnt from authentic sources that it’s very healthy,’’ said Bose, who hung up his boots as a player in 2011.

Ever since taking over the reins of IRFU in 2021, Bose felt strongly that a franchise league had be the way forward to give the sport a corporate push – much required to take the sport beyond a handful of states. GMR Holdings, co owners of the IPL franchise Delhi Capitals are the title sponsors while HSBC, one of the major benefactors of rugby globally, are one of the official partners. ‘’GMR had been trusting and supportive, while the fact we have got HSBC on board tells the world that we are serious players,’’ he said.

Action during a RPL game in Mumbai

Breaking down the steps as to how the IRFU went about creating the RPL, Bose pointed out that the challenge lay in composition of each team and format of the tournament. ‘’We had identified 30 overseas marquee players from top Sevens playing nations with the advice of six coaches earmarked for the teams. Now, since there would be a certain gulf in standard between these marquee players and the Indian recruits, we introduced the concept of a bridge player from countries like Germany, Hong Kong etc – whose standard are good but not exactly top level.

‘’Each squad was then built on a 5-3-5 format (five marquee players, three bridge and five Indian players each) to ensure that the competition was even. The draft then decided on who takes whom and this is how each team was formed – we will see how it goes and then take a call whether any tweaking is needed for next season,’’ he said.

Rahul Bose, Actor & IRFU presidentFundamentally, if you love two things, you will eventually find time for both. When I was a player, I first looked at the international calendar for the dates of matches, camps etc and planned my film schedule around it for two to three months. It was never a problem as it’s been like looking after two children – you can’t feed one and keep the other one waiting

Charting a lesser beaten track had not easy for Bose but then, he had managed to strike a fine balance between his acting and playing career and now that of juggling his vocation and the administrator’s role. ‘’Fundamentally, if you love two things, you will eventually find time for both. When I was a player, I first looked at the international calendar for the dates of matches, camps etc and planned my film schedule around it for two to three months. It was never a problem as it’s been like looking after two children – you can’t feed one and keep the other one waiting,’’ he said with a laugh.

The same amount of passion and commitment continues as when the Indian women’s team were undergoing a camp in Kolkata ahead of the 2023 Asian Games, Bose was always at hand training with them – sharp at 5 am everyday at the Sports Authority of India (SAI) complex. If that’s not enough, look up the official promo of RPL and you will see an athletic Bose, now 57, lunging himself to explain what’s a ‘try’ in rugby.

He is certainly one of a kind but Bose wears the trappings of fame rather lightly and hates the fuss about any talk of multi-tasking. ‘’It’s been a pleasure for me to be involved in the sport this way.  I will go back to the children analogy once again - I never think about the fact about what will happen if I am lost in the pages of time as long as people love the experience. Even in my movies, it’s about creating that moment for the audience and not about me,’’ he signed off.  

RUGBY PREMIER LEAGUE: THE FAQs

Dates: 15-29 June, 2025

Venue: Andheri Sports Complex, Mumbai

Teams: Delhi Redz, Hyderabad Heroes, Kalinga Black Tigers, Chennai Bulls, Mumbai Dreamers and Bangalore Bravehearts

Total matches: 34

Match duration: 22 minutes (Four-minute quarters with two min breaks)

Broadcast channels: Jio Hotstar; Star Sports