Chennai Bulls beat Delhi Redz to become inaugural champions

The Chennai Bulls produced a commanding performance to etch their names in history as the first-ever champions of the Rugby Premier League, dismantling the Delhi Redz 41-0 in a one-sided final in Mumbai.

The Bulls carried their momentum from the semi-finals and never allowed Delhi Redz a chance to settle, ending the inaugural campaign unbeaten and with a title to show for their clinical consistency.

Relentless from the outset at the Mumbai Football Arena, the Chennai Bulls took control of the rugby match early through a try from Vaafauese Maliko, with Filipe Sauturaga converting.

Joseva Talacolo, a Paris 2024 Olympics silver medallist with Fiji alongside Sauturaga, added another soon after, before Terry Kennedy delivered a brace of tries to push Chennai Bulls further ahead. Gaurav Kumar's two conversions ensured a 24-0 lead at the break.

The second half followed the same script. Shanawaz Ahmed crossed over following a slick assist from Kennedy, with Sauturaga once again converting. Mohammed Ashique then added two late tries to cap off the emphatic victory — the biggest winning margin of the season in Rugby Premier League 2025.

Earlier in the day, the Hyderabad Heroes secured third place with a hard-fought 17-12 win over the Bengaluru Bravehearts. Despite trailing in the first half, the Heroes rallied through Joji Nasova’s try and a conversion from Manuel Moreno. Kevin Wekesa, also a Paris Olympian with Kenya, and Bhupinder Singh added decisive tries in the second half to overturn the deficit.

For Bengaluru, early tries from Tone Shiu and Philip Wokorach, along with a conversion by Akuila Rokolisoa, had given them the advantage, but they couldn’t withstand Hyderabad’s second-half surge.

The Rugby Premier League is the first-ever franchise-based Rugby 7s league sanctioned by World Rugby.

Organised by Rugby India, the 15-day tournament in Mumbai featured six teams competing in 34 matches – including 30 games in a double round-robin league phase – followed by two semi-finals, a third-place playoff and a final.

The RPL secured a dedicated window on the international Rugby 7s calendar, enabling the participation of 30 marquee overseas players and raising the overall standard of play.

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