Hyderabad Heroes Clinch HSBC Rugby Premier League Season 2 Title
Hyderabad, June 28 (TNT): Hyderabad Heroes were crowned champions of the HSBC Rugby Premier League (RPL) Season 2 after defeating Mumbai Dreamers 41-17 in a one-sided final at the Gachibowli Stadium here on Sunday.
Organised by GMR Sports in partnership with Rugby India, the tournament concluded in the presence of Telangana Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy, GMR Group Corporate Chairman Kiran Kumar Grandhi, actor Chiranjeevi, Olympic medallist P.V. Sindhu, actress Mrunal Thakur, GMR Airports Ltd Chairman G.B.S. Raju and Rugby India President and RPL Commissioner Rahul Bose.
With the victory, Hyderabad Heroes lifted the championship trophy and pocketed the winner’s prize of ₹45 lakh, while runners-up Mumbai Dreamers received ₹25 lakh.
Bengaluru Bravehearts finished third after defeating Chennai Bulls 22-19 in the playoff and claimed prize money of ₹15 lakh.
In the title clash, Hyderabad Heroes produced a dominant display after weathering early pressure from Mumbai Dreamers.
Strong defence and quick counter-attacks enabled the hosts to seize control, with Taitaifono Tavita, Shivam Shukla, Diego Ardao, Kevin Wekesa and Terio Tamani playing key roles in the comprehensive victory.
Mumbai’s Ethan McFarland, James Turner and Sukumar Hembrom scored late tries, but Hyderabad maintained their intensity to seal the title.
Rahul Bose said the second edition of the league had surpassed the inaugural season in terms of crowd attendance, quality of international players, fan engagement, sponsorship and broadcast reach.
He also highlighted the successful launch of the women’s competition as a major milestone for Indian rugby.
GMR Sports Chief Marketing Officer Sujoy Ganguly said the successful completion of the tournament reflected the organisation’s long-term commitment to developing new sporting ecosystems in India.
He said the enthusiastic response from fans and the introduction of the women’s league demonstrated rugby’s growing popularity and potential in the country.
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