New Delhi, June 15 (IANS) As Chennai Bulls prepare to begin their Rugby Premier League (RPL) title defence, vice-captain Mohit Khatri believes the competition is playing a transformative role in Indian rugby by giving domestic players unprecedented exposure to some of the world's best athletes.

The Rugby Premier League, the world's first franchise-based rugby sevens league, returns for its second season on June 16. Launched in 2025 with six city-based franchises, the tournament has expanded in 2026 with the addition of a women's competition featuring four teams.

Defending champions Chennai Bulls enter the new season as one of the favourites once again. The franchise has assembled another star-studded squad led by Argentinian international Santiago Alvarez, who captained his country at the Paris 2024 Olympics. Indian rugby stalwart Mohit Khatri has been named vice-captain, forming part of a leadership group rich in experience at the national, state and franchise levels.

The Bulls have also continued to push boundaries off the field. During the 2025-26 season, Chennai became the first Indian representative side to participate in prestigious international tournaments such as the Fiji Coral Coast 7s and the Hong Kong 10s, underlining their ambition to elevate both the franchise and Indian rugby on the global stage.

Widely regarded as the face of Indian rugby, Khatri has often been described as the sport's "poster boy" in the country. While the tag brings visibility and responsibility, the former India captain says he has learned not to let it become a burden.

"Actually, it's good to be a poster boy. Many known and many unknown people know you and with that you get a responsibility as well. But I don't think that gives me an extra burden because I have my work and things to focus on and I try to keep my full focus there and try not to take that thing as a burden," Khatri told IANS in an exclusive conversation.

For Khatri, some of his proudest memories in rugby come not from international success but from representing Haryana alongside family members and helping establish the state as a dominant force in Indian rugby.

"My first achievement was from the senior nationals, where I was representing my state, Haryana. There were four cousins who used to play. So that gives me a good feeling that we follow our brothers, used to play in a team, represent our family, our culture, our state and then we are winning and dominating all over India. So that gives me quite good confidence," he said.

Having captained both Haryana and the Indian national team, Khatri now finds himself in a unique position as vice-captain of a franchise packed with international talent. Rather than viewing the role solely as a leadership responsibility, he sees it as an opportunity to learn from some of rugby's most successful figures.

"Till now I have captained my state team, my national team. So now I got an opportunity to play with almost top-level athletes of the world. We got a chance to learn something new, what the world leaders like in rugby, what they follow, how they play, what their rules and regulations are, what their culture is, and what they follow.

"So, with leadership as well, it will be like a very good learning experience for me. Like to learn from almost the top level, like our captain is from Argentina, and Argentina has been winning for the past two or three years. They have been the trophy champions. So it's like they are on the top of the world. So I got a chance to learn a few leadership skills and their game skills from this tournament," he added.

Khatri also paid tribute to Delhi Hurricanes, the club where his rugby journey began. He credited the club's environment and grassroots structure for shaping him into the player he is today.

"I started my basic rugby with the Delhi Hurricanes only. So basically, when I started, I had no idea about rugby, no rules, no regulations, like no way in which, in future, what I will be doing, what I will be having with rugby or not. So everything which I got from rugby is because of Delhi Hurricanes.

"I learned my basic skills there, and whenever we did, we had free time. So we used to get back to our club. We used to play there. We have local club tournaments as well. So we try to play as much as there because those are like our roots. We have learned everything from there. Today, whatever we are having, I think it's most of that driven by Delhi Hurricanes only," he said.

Reflecting on the impact of the Rugby Premier League, Khatri said both players and teams have adapted significantly after experiencing the tournament's unique format during the inaugural season.

"In the first season, it was new for everyone basically. Like the game, the gameplay, how we play. Basically, in sevens rugby, we have 7 minutes in 2 halves. But this RPL is totally different. It's a 4-minute quarter. So 4 minutes 4 quarters.

"So basically new for everyone, even for us and even for the players who come from outside. So from that, we got a learning, we got another level of fitness, like how we need to train so that we will be able to survive about 4 quarters or 4 minutes each.

"And so from last year to this year, Indian boys have also stepped up. They have also made a strategy for how to play, how to, you know, from last year they set some standards. And now from this year, they will try to achieve more and more and go there as much as possible," he explained.

Khatri also highlighted the contribution of Rugby India president Rahul Bose in helping the sport secure greater visibility and opportunities for Indian players.

"Yeah, we have been talking many times, like from when Rahul Bose entered like Rugby India; he has been the president of Rugby India. So, more sponsors have been joining in more. You know, the type and the era of rugby have changed.

"Like they have given a good exposure tournament like RPL. Thanks to this tournament, we are able to play with the Olympians. But if this tournament had not been there, we would have lost this chance. So we just watch them on television only and at RPL. But because of this tournament, because of the Rugby India, Rahul Bose, we get a chance to play with almost Olympians and top-level athletes of the world."

As Chennai Bulls begin their title defence against Delhi Redz at Hyderabad's Gachibowli Stadium on Tuesday, Khatri believes the tournament represents far more than a franchise competition. For Indian players, it has become a platform to test themselves against elite international talent, learn from the world's best and accelerate the growth of rugby in the country.

--IANS

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