HSBC Rugby Premier League 2026 Auction: Sumit Kumar Roy and Shikha Yadav Headline Top Buys As Women’s League Debuts

The HSBC Rugby Premier League Season 2 Player Auction and Draft ended in Hyderabad on 30 April 2026. Hyderabad Heroes signed West Bengal back Sumit Kumar Roy as the top Indian men’s buy at 3.75L. Delhi Redz secured Delhi’s Shikha Yadav as the top Indian women’s signing at 2.4L.

The league, run by GMR Sports and Rugby India, now has six men’s and four women’s franchises. The women’s squads were drafted for the first time. Both men’s and women’s events will run at Gachibowli Stadium, Hyderabad, from 16 June to 28 June 2026.

Top Buys Highlight Men's & Women's Auctions

In the men’s auction, Sumit Kumar Roy joined Hyderabad Heroes for 3.75L. Chennai Bulls bought Haryana forward Mohit Khatri for 3.5L. Delhi Redz added Haryana’s Deepak Kumar Punia at 2.75L. Kolkata Banga Tigers matched that figure for Maharashtra player Prashant Arvind Pratap Singh.

The women’s auction saw Delhi Redz spend 2.4L on Delhi back Shikha Yadav. Mumbai Dreamers signed Rajasthan’s Bhumika Shukla for 2.2L. Kolkata Banga Tigers acquired Odisha player Nirmalya Rout for 1.6L. Chennai Bulls matched 1.6L for Punjab forward Amandeep Kaur.

Rugby India President Mr Rahul Bose said teams arrived very prepared. He called the auction “electric” and predicted an “extremely competitive” HSBC RPL. He noted that 2025 made history with the men’s league and said the 2026 women’s league will show top Indian players with leading global talent.

Mr Sujoy Ganguly, CMO, GMR Sports, said the women’s league is a landmark step. He said the draft shows strong intent from franchises and GMR Sports. He added that investment in women’s squads is vital for long-term growth and strong career pathways in Indian rugby.

Chennai Bulls men retained Fiji’s Joseva Talacolo and Filipe Sauturaga. They added internationals Santiago Alvarez, Sunni Jardine, Tobias Sanz-Trapaga, Ethan Turner, Taualai Panoa, Tusitafu Toilolo and Hidayat Jerffrydin. Indian picks were Mohit Khatri, Jugal Kishore Majhi, Karan Rajbhar, Pranav Patil and Harpreet Singh Kamboj.

Bengaluru Bravehearts men retained New Zealand playmaker Akuila Rokolisoa and Uganda’s Philip Wokorach. They signed Henry Hutchison, Ngarohi McGarvey Black, Shilton Van Wyk, Ryan Apps, Denis Etwau, Motu Opetai and Michael Coverdale. Indians chosen were Rajdeep Saha, Devendra Raju Padir, Ganesh Dhangada Majhi, Akash Balmiki and Arpan Chetri.

Delhi Redz men retained Kenya’s Patrick Odongo Okongo. They picked Luciano Gonzalez, Pol Pla, Josep Serres, Nygel Pettersen Amaitsa, Elias Hancock, Samuel Mosirori Asati, Jon Okoth Okeyo and Lennox Wiese. Indian signings were Vinay A, Javed Hussein, Hitesh Dagar, Deepak Kumar Punia and Shridhar Shrikant Nigade.

Hyderabad Heroes men retained Spain’s Manuel Moreno Asensi and Kenya’s Kevin Wekesa. They added Maurice Longbottom, Regan Ware, Francisco Cosculluela, Diego Ardao, Dante Sotonida, Ravuama Seruvakula and Wolfram Hacker. Indian players signed were Shivam Shukla, Sumit Kumar Roy, Muhammed Anes K, Sambit Pradhan and Rajan Rawat.

Mumbai Dreamers men retained Papua New Guinea’s Ben Lasiel. They picked James Turner, Santino Zangara, Lucas Mignot, Tristan Leyds, Guillaume Bouche, Nabo Sakoyi, Liam Poulton and Demetri Patterson. Indian signings were Sukumar Hembrom, Prince Khatri, Asis Sabar, Vikas Khatri and retained Haryana player Neeraj Khatri.

Kolkata Banga Tigers men brought in Vuiviwa Naduvalo, Thibaud Mazzoleni, Brady Rush, Ricardo Duartee, Lucas Lacamp, Aaron Cummings, Adrian Kasito, Niue Owen and Shotaro Tsuoka. Indian picks were Ajay Deswal, Prashant Arvind Pratap Singh, Shanawaz Ahmed, Deshraj Rathore and Sanjay Kisan.

Chennai Bulls women signed internationals Ana Maria Naimasi, Chantelle Miell, Carmen Izyk, Lara Wright, Liske Lategan and Sheilla Chajira. Indian players chosen were Tarulata Naik, Sandhyarani Tudu, Amandeep Kaur, Sandhya Rai, Sapna Kumari and Muskan Piploda across values from 50k to 1.6L.

Delhi Redz women added Camilla Carvalho, Isadora Lopes, Reapi Ulunisau, Silika Qalo, Eden Kilgour and Zintle Mpupha. Indian signings were Guriya Kumari, Shikha Yadav, Vaishnavi Patel, Dumuni Marndi, Rima Oraon and Saloni Kumari, with figures ranging from 50k to 2.4L.

Mumbai Dreamers women picked Yasmim Soares, Abigail Brown, Grace Okulu, Marienela Escalante, Carmen Miranda Miralles and Abril Camacho Ruiz. Indian buys were Arti Kumari, Mama Naik, Hupi Majhi, Bhumika Shukla, Lachmi Oraon and Sunita Hansdah, led by 2.2L for Rajasthan back Bhumika Shukla.

Kolkata Banga Tigers women chose Nia Toliver, Shiniqwa Lamprecht, Vianca Boer, Ronja Hinterding, Sarah Gossman and Sofia Gonzalez. Indian players signed were Gomti Thakur, Ujjwala Ghuge, Kalyani Patil, Nirmalya Rout, Kyra Bianca Vincent and Parbati Hansdah, with Odisha talent Nirmalya Rout valued at 1.6L.

GMR Sports Driving Rugby Growth In India

GMR Sports, formed in 2008 as part of GMR Group, runs several leagues. It owns Delhi Capitals in the IPL, UP Yoddhas in Pro Kabaddi and Telugu Yoddhas in Ultimate Kho Kho. It also controls the Rugby Premier League franchise rights in India.

The group’s global holdings include Dubai Capitals in ILT20, Pretoria Capitals in SA20, Seattle Orcas in Major League Cricket and Hampshire County Cricket Club in England. With the RPL squads now set, all teams move into pre-season work for June’s tournament in Hyderabad.