Hyderabad, April 30, 2026: Building on the momentum of a successful inaugural Rugby Premier League season in 2025, GMR Sports, along with Rugby India, has concluded the Season 2 Player Auction and Draft in Hyderabad today. All franchises have assembled strong, competitive squads for the upcoming HSBC Rugby Premier League season.
In a landmark moment for Indian rugby, the women’s franchises also participated in the Auction and Draft, with Chennai Bulls, Mumbai Dreamers, Kolkata Banga Tigers and Delhi Redz building their inaugural squads. Both the men’s and women’s competitions will be held at Gachibowli Stadium, Hyderabad, from June 16 to 28, 2026.
Women’s teams make historic debut
The Auction and Draft marked a significant step forward for the league, with six men’s and four women’s franchises strategically building balanced line-ups featuring a mix of experienced internationals and emerging Indian talent.
The men’s franchises, Delhi Redz, Hyderabad Heroes, Kolkata Banga Tigers, Chennai Bulls, Mumbai Dreamers and Bengaluru Bravehearts made their picks, with West Bengal’s Sumit Kumar Roy emerging as the highest-paid Indian player at 3.75L for Hyderabad Heroes, followed by Mohit Khatri at 3.5L with Chennai Bulls, and Deepak Kumar Punia and Prashant Arvind Pratap Singh, both picked up for 2.75L by Delhi Redz and Kolkata Banga Tigers respectively.
The Women’s Auction and Draft saw Chennai Bulls, Mumbai Dreamers, Kolkata Banga Tigers and Delhi Redz build their inaugural squads, further expanding the competitive landscape of the Rugby Premier League. Delhi’s Shikha Yadav led the Indian signings as the highest-paid player at 2.4L for Delhi Redz, followed by Bhumika Shukla at 2.2L with Mumbai Dreamers, while Nirmalya Rout and Amandeep Kaur were all secured for 1.6L by Kolkata Banga Tigers and Chennai Bulls respectively, rounding off the top buys across the four teams.
League eyes stronger growth
Speaking after the Auction and Draft, Mr Rahul Bose, President, Rugby India, said: “It was an electric auction and draft. Teams came with very well prepared strategies. This is going to be an extremely competitive HSBC RPL. 2025 saw us making history with RPL Men. We are delighted that RPL 2026 will feature a women’s league too. Women’s 7s rugby is physical, fierce and incredibly skilled. India will see the country’s best female rugby players play shoulder to shoulder with some of the world’s most exciting talent. Fasten your seatbelts.”
Mr Sujoy Ganguly, CMO, GMR Sports, added: “The introduction of the women’s league is a landmark moment for the HSBC Rugby Premier League. Today’s draft reflects a strong commitment from franchises and GMR Sports to invest in and build competitive women’s teams, which is critical to driving long-term growth and creating meaningful pathways for athletes in Indian rugby.”
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With squads now finalised, teams will shift focus to pre-season preparations as the HSBC Rugby Premier League continues to build momentum as one of the country’s premier rugby platforms.
