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Rahul Bose bats for Rugby Revolution with RPL 2, Women’s League and Olympic ambitions on the horizon Film star-turned sports administrator Rahul Bose wears many hats, from being an award-winning actor to now, being the President of Rugby India.Before the second edition of the Rugby Premier League (RPL), planned in Hyderabad next month, the 58-year-old discusses the present state of Rugby in India and the future of the sport, in an exclusive chat with Sportstar.Q: How do you look at the second edition of the league? How different will it be from the first?A: Yes, we were always wanting to have an RPL Women last year also. But because there was so much to look at, which was new to us, we decided to stay with RPL Men. But this year, the franchises have been very, very forthcoming.We have dug into our pockets, and we have made sure that we have created the financial as well as operational space to run a women’s league at the same time as the men’s. So in effect, the same two weeks that we had last year, when the men’s league was running, the women’s league will run at the same time. Instead of two games a day, we’ll have four, sometimes five games a day.It will build for a longer, more interesting evening for people who are coming to the stadium as well as those who are viewing it online. That’s one big difference. The second big difference is that our partners — Jio Hotstar and Star Sports have now partnered to have it on YouTube and TV.ALSO READ: RPL 2026 — Second season of Rugby Premier League to be played in Hyderabad in JuneWe were always certain that the venue would move from city to city. From Mumbai, it has come to Hyderabad and will move to other venues in future.Q: How do you see Hyderabad as a venue?A: It’s a city where the scale of the stadium is bigger than what we had in Mumbai. So we are very much looking forward to having experiences for fans and things in the stadium, along with the fact that it’s a longer evening. So we are very clear that we are setting our sights on creating not one but two world-class products. The second season of Rugby Premier League will take place at the Gachibowli Stadium, which has also hosted football matches in the past. | Photo Credit: Nagara Gopal The second season of Rugby Premier League will take place at the Gachibowli Stadium, which has also hosted football matches in the past. | Photo Credit: Nagara Gopal Q: What are the major challenges involved in getting franchises for the Women’s League?A: I think almost everybody was ideologically very, very certain that they wanted to be part of it. But the economics had to work. And we are a league where we run a very tight ship. We are very, very collaborative and fair with our franchise owners.At the same time, we cannot expect, should I say, generosity that’s unreasonable. So everybody was ideologically in line with us. So, what we did was we made a lot of attractive benefits for franchises, more attractive than they were last year, so that they would come to the women’s game this year. Thankfully, our franchises understood that.We didn’t want to go for six or eight franchises because of the operational difficulties. So four is very solid, and we’ll have 48 players, 24 foreigners, 24 Indians. And yet, it will be operationally manageable.Q: How is the pace of the sport across India?A: India has 760 districts. Rugby is in 322 districts. 40 per cent of India plays rugby. So our grassroots are strong. For the last five years, we’ve had 320 districts. We had the option to either spread the districts or to deepen the involvement of the players in those districts. We’ve chosen the latter. We’ve chosen to deepen involvement in the 322 districts. We want those players to stay with the game.Q: Any major initiatives to take the sport to the next level?A: We are not taking it to more unexplored regions. We are (already) in 322 districts, which is a lot. It’s a captive population of 650 million people. But in terms of initiatives, we’ve had the Asmita Women’s League. Players in action during an ASMITA Rugby State League Jammu and Kashmir at the Multipurpose Indoor Sports Stadium. | Photo Credit: Imran Nissar Players in action during an ASMITA Rugby State League Jammu and Kashmir at the Multipurpose Indoor Sports Stadium. | Photo Credit: Imran Nissar The Government of India has given us solid support, and between 30 and 50 cities across India have had a women’s rugby league last year. We have over 30 national tournaments that happen.I would say that this is probably the most played, least known game in India.Q: What are the realistic goals?A: One is to make sure that something like the RPL happens, which brings rugby to the eyes of people through mass media. The second is for our (national) teams to do well. The moment our teams begin to win, it will automatically begin to become popular.So for the teams to do well, you have to put a lot of money into high performance. Right now, our women are sixth in Asia out of 36 nations. Rahul Bose feels the Indian women’s national team has a quicker chance to make it to the Olympics because of its higher ranking in Asia. | Photo Credit: Nissar Ahmad Rahul Bose feels the Indian women’s national team has a quicker chance to make it to the Olympics because of its higher ranking in Asia. | Photo Credit: Nissar Ahmad For perspective, if you get to the top two, you make the Olympics. We are hopeful of making the Olympics in 2032. And we will be the first team sport, after hockey, in 90 years to get to the Olympics.Of course, cricket is in the Olympics, but it’s a very small pool. But, making it to the Olympics in rugby out of over 100, to be one of the 14-15 nations will be very prestigious. Our men’s team, 12th in Asia, has to wait for one more cycle to get there.Q: A roadmap for the sport?A: We’ve had the road map in place for five years, month by month. In fact, when we submitted the road map to the government or the Ministry of Sports, they said they had never seen anything like it in their lives.We submitted this in 2020 on what was planned up to 2030. We’ll be following that. We are slightly ahead in some things, and we’re slightly behind in others. Anyone can track us month by month. Students in a training session at Universal Engineering College at Vallivattom, in Thrissur, Kerala. | Photo Credit: K.K. Najeeb Students in a training session at Universal Engineering College at Vallivattom, in Thrissur, Kerala. | Photo Credit: K.K. Najeeb The Government has always asked for accountability, and we never shy away from being transparent and accountable. In fact, we were awarded the best Federation in the country by the FICCI last year because of our transparency, our ethics and our processes.Q: On areas of focus?A: It’s not in the big cities but in the districts, a cluster of schools, PETs (Physical Education Teachers) through our State Associations that are doing very good work. So we don’t go to one school.ALSO READ: Rugby Premier League Season 2 squads finalised; women’s league set for historic debutYou cannot think of this as a metro sport but as a hinterland sport instead. Most of our players come from the bottom of the social pyramid. We don’t do a caste census. But socio-economically, they are the poorest of the poor.Q: How are the players supported in the Rubgy ecosystem?A: We are one of the few federations that give a yearly purse to every state to spend on development, for national tournaments, on jerseys, on transport and on food. That is what they spend in their districts, and all the State Associations have to submit detailed reports on follow-up actions.Q: Tell us the state of sponsorship in Rugby.A: Normally, all our tournaments are funded by us. We have sponsors like Capgemini and DHL, who fund Indian Rugby. We’ve had some government states supporting us in the past. Chennai Bull’s Vaafauese Apelu Maliko in action in the first season of Indian Rugby Premier League (RPL) final against Delhi Redz. | Photo Credit: Getty Images Chennai Bull’s Vaafauese Apelu Maliko in action in the first season of Indian Rugby Premier League (RPL) final against Delhi Redz. | Photo Credit: Getty Images We get money from the Central Government, World Rugby, and small amounts from the Capri Group and Jamuna Auto. So, we raise the money and spend it on national tournaments.Q: What are the major changes you’re looking at from the Indian players’ perspective?A: This is the Federation’s responsibility. It has to raise more money, work harder and build a 365-day-a-year ecosystem around our players. Right now, we can only afford to do it maybe 100 days a year.We would like to build an ecosystem around our 30-40 best players from each team – Under-18 boys, under-18 girls, under-20 boys, under-20 girls, men and women.Q: What are you looking for after the Rugby Premier League?A: I think a real mark of success will be when the six franchises begin to do more work in developing an interest and creating infrastructure in the cities. We don’t have a (major) presence in the cities as a sport. So in these big six cities, we will start to have what we have never had before.Published on May 02, 2026 #Rahul #Bose #bats #Rugby #Revolution #RPL #Womens #League #Olympic #ambitions #horizon

Rahul Bose bats for Rugby Revolution with RPL 2, Women’s League and Olympic ambitions on the horizon

Film star-turned sports administrator Rahul Bose wears many hats, from being an award-winning actor to now, being the President of Rugby India.

Before the second edition of the Rugby Premier League (RPL), planned in Hyderabad next month, the 58-year-old discusses the present state of Rugby in India and the future of the sport, in an exclusive chat with Sportstar.

Q: How do you look at the second edition of the league? How different will it be from the first?

A: Yes, we were always wanting to have an RPL Women last year also. But because there was so much to look at, which was new to us, we decided to stay with RPL Men. But this year, the franchises have been very, very forthcoming.

We have dug into our pockets, and we have made sure that we have created the financial as well as operational space to run a women’s league at the same time as the men’s. So in effect, the same two weeks that we had last year, when the men’s league was running, the women’s league will run at the same time. Instead of two games a day, we’ll have four, sometimes five games a day.

It will build for a longer, more interesting evening for people who are coming to the stadium as well as those who are viewing it online. That’s one big difference. The second big difference is that our partners — Jio Hotstar and Star Sports have now partnered to have it on YouTube and TV.

ALSO READ: RPL 2026 — Second season of Rugby Premier League to be played in Hyderabad in June

We were always certain that the venue would move from city to city. From Mumbai, it has come to Hyderabad and will move to other venues in future.

Q: How do you see Hyderabad as a venue?

A: It’s a city where the scale of the stadium is bigger than what we had in Mumbai. So we are very much looking forward to having experiences for fans and things in the stadium, along with the fact that it’s a longer evening. So we are very clear that we are setting our sights on creating not one but two world-class products.

Rahul Bose bats for Rugby Revolution with RPL 2, Women’s League and Olympic ambitions on the horizon Film star-turned sports administrator Rahul Bose wears many hats, from being an award-winning actor to now, being the President of Rugby India.Before the second edition of the Rugby Premier League (RPL), planned in Hyderabad next month, the 58-year-old discusses the present state of Rugby in India and the future of the sport, in an exclusive chat with Sportstar.Q: How do you look at the second edition of the league? How different will it be from the first?A: Yes, we were always wanting to have an RPL Women last year also. But because there was so much to look at, which was new to us, we decided to stay with RPL Men. But this year, the franchises have been very, very forthcoming.We have dug into our pockets, and we have made sure that we have created the financial as well as operational space to run a women’s league at the same time as the men’s. So in effect, the same two weeks that we had last year, when the men’s league was running, the women’s league will run at the same time. Instead of two games a day, we’ll have four, sometimes five games a day.It will build for a longer, more interesting evening for people who are coming to the stadium as well as those who are viewing it online. That’s one big difference. The second big difference is that our partners — Jio Hotstar and Star Sports have now partnered to have it on YouTube and TV.ALSO READ: RPL 2026 — Second season of Rugby Premier League to be played in Hyderabad in JuneWe were always certain that the venue would move from city to city. From Mumbai, it has come to Hyderabad and will move to other venues in future.Q: How do you see Hyderabad as a venue?A: It’s a city where the scale of the stadium is bigger than what we had in Mumbai. So we are very much looking forward to having experiences for fans and things in the stadium, along with the fact that it’s a longer evening. So we are very clear that we are setting our sights on creating not one but two world-class products. The second season of Rugby Premier League will take place at the Gachibowli Stadium, which has also hosted football matches in the past. | Photo Credit: Nagara Gopal The second season of Rugby Premier League will take place at the Gachibowli Stadium, which has also hosted football matches in the past. | Photo Credit: Nagara Gopal Q: What are the major challenges involved in getting franchises for the Women’s League?A: I think almost everybody was ideologically very, very certain that they wanted to be part of it. But the economics had to work. And we are a league where we run a very tight ship. We are very, very collaborative and fair with our franchise owners.At the same time, we cannot expect, should I say, generosity that’s unreasonable. So everybody was ideologically in line with us. So, what we did was we made a lot of attractive benefits for franchises, more attractive than they were last year, so that they would come to the women’s game this year. Thankfully, our franchises understood that.We didn’t want to go for six or eight franchises because of the operational difficulties. So four is very solid, and we’ll have 48 players, 24 foreigners, 24 Indians. And yet, it will be operationally manageable.Q: How is the pace of the sport across India?A: India has 760 districts. Rugby is in 322 districts. 40 per cent of India plays rugby. So our grassroots are strong. For the last five years, we’ve had 320 districts. We had the option to either spread the districts or to deepen the involvement of the players in those districts. We’ve chosen the latter. We’ve chosen to deepen involvement in the 322 districts. We want those players to stay with the game.Q: Any major initiatives to take the sport to the next level?A: We are not taking it to more unexplored regions. We are (already) in 322 districts, which is a lot. It’s a captive population of 650 million people. But in terms of initiatives, we’ve had the Asmita Women’s League. Players in action during an ASMITA Rugby State League Jammu and Kashmir at the Multipurpose Indoor Sports Stadium. | Photo Credit: Imran Nissar Players in action during an ASMITA Rugby State League Jammu and Kashmir at the Multipurpose Indoor Sports Stadium. | Photo Credit: Imran Nissar The Government of India has given us solid support, and between 30 and 50 cities across India have had a women’s rugby league last year. We have over 30 national tournaments that happen.I would say that this is probably the most played, least known game in India.Q: What are the realistic goals?A: One is to make sure that something like the RPL happens, which brings rugby to the eyes of people through mass media. The second is for our (national) teams to do well. The moment our teams begin to win, it will automatically begin to become popular.So for the teams to do well, you have to put a lot of money into high performance. Right now, our women are sixth in Asia out of 36 nations. Rahul Bose feels the Indian women’s national team has a quicker chance to make it to the Olympics because of its higher ranking in Asia. | Photo Credit: Nissar Ahmad Rahul Bose feels the Indian women’s national team has a quicker chance to make it to the Olympics because of its higher ranking in Asia. | Photo Credit: Nissar Ahmad For perspective, if you get to the top two, you make the Olympics. We are hopeful of making the Olympics in 2032. And we will be the first team sport, after hockey, in 90 years to get to the Olympics.Of course, cricket is in the Olympics, but it’s a very small pool. But, making it to the Olympics in rugby out of over 100, to be one of the 14-15 nations will be very prestigious. Our men’s team, 12th in Asia, has to wait for one more cycle to get there.Q: A roadmap for the sport?A: We’ve had the road map in place for five years, month by month. In fact, when we submitted the road map to the government or the Ministry of Sports, they said they had never seen anything like it in their lives.We submitted this in 2020 on what was planned up to 2030. We’ll be following that. We are slightly ahead in some things, and we’re slightly behind in others. Anyone can track us month by month. Students in a training session at Universal Engineering College at Vallivattom, in Thrissur, Kerala. | Photo Credit: K.K. Najeeb Students in a training session at Universal Engineering College at Vallivattom, in Thrissur, Kerala. | Photo Credit: K.K. Najeeb The Government has always asked for accountability, and we never shy away from being transparent and accountable. In fact, we were awarded the best Federation in the country by the FICCI last year because of our transparency, our ethics and our processes.Q: On areas of focus?A: It’s not in the big cities but in the districts, a cluster of schools, PETs (Physical Education Teachers) through our State Associations that are doing very good work. So we don’t go to one school.ALSO READ: Rugby Premier League Season 2 squads finalised; women’s league set for historic debutYou cannot think of this as a metro sport but as a hinterland sport instead. Most of our players come from the bottom of the social pyramid. We don’t do a caste census. But socio-economically, they are the poorest of the poor.Q: How are the players supported in the Rubgy ecosystem?A: We are one of the few federations that give a yearly purse to every state to spend on development, for national tournaments, on jerseys, on transport and on food. That is what they spend in their districts, and all the State Associations have to submit detailed reports on follow-up actions.Q: Tell us the state of sponsorship in Rugby.A: Normally, all our tournaments are funded by us. We have sponsors like Capgemini and DHL, who fund Indian Rugby. We’ve had some government states supporting us in the past. Chennai Bull’s Vaafauese Apelu Maliko in action in the first season of Indian Rugby Premier League (RPL) final against Delhi Redz. | Photo Credit: Getty Images Chennai Bull’s Vaafauese Apelu Maliko in action in the first season of Indian Rugby Premier League (RPL) final against Delhi Redz. | Photo Credit: Getty Images We get money from the Central Government, World Rugby, and small amounts from the Capri Group and Jamuna Auto. So, we raise the money and spend it on national tournaments.Q: What are the major changes you’re looking at from the Indian players’ perspective?A: This is the Federation’s responsibility. It has to raise more money, work harder and build a 365-day-a-year ecosystem around our players. Right now, we can only afford to do it maybe 100 days a year.We would like to build an ecosystem around our 30-40 best players from each team – Under-18 boys, under-18 girls, under-20 boys, under-20 girls, men and women.Q: What are you looking for after the Rugby Premier League?A: I think a real mark of success will be when the six franchises begin to do more work in developing an interest and creating infrastructure in the cities. We don’t have a (major) presence in the cities as a sport. So in these big six cities, we will start to have what we have never had before.Published on May 02, 2026 #Rahul #Bose #bats #Rugby #Revolution #RPL #Womens #League #Olympic #ambitions #horizon

The second season of Rugby Premier League will take place at the Gachibowli Stadium, which has also hosted football matches in the past. | Photo Credit: Nagara Gopal

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The second season of Rugby Premier League will take place at the Gachibowli Stadium, which has also hosted football matches in the past. | Photo Credit: Nagara Gopal

Q: What are the major challenges involved in getting franchises for the Women’s League?

A: I think almost everybody was ideologically very, very certain that they wanted to be part of it. But the economics had to work. And we are a league where we run a very tight ship. We are very, very collaborative and fair with our franchise owners.

At the same time, we cannot expect, should I say, generosity that’s unreasonable. So everybody was ideologically in line with us. So, what we did was we made a lot of attractive benefits for franchises, more attractive than they were last year, so that they would come to the women’s game this year. Thankfully, our franchises understood that.

We didn’t want to go for six or eight franchises because of the operational difficulties. So four is very solid, and we’ll have 48 players, 24 foreigners, 24 Indians. And yet, it will be operationally manageable.

Q: How is the pace of the sport across India?

A: India has 760 districts. Rugby is in 322 districts. 40 per cent of India plays rugby. So our grassroots are strong. For the last five years, we’ve had 320 districts. We had the option to either spread the districts or to deepen the involvement of the players in those districts. We’ve chosen the latter. We’ve chosen to deepen involvement in the 322 districts. We want those players to stay with the game.

Q: Any major initiatives to take the sport to the next level?

A: We are not taking it to more unexplored regions. We are (already) in 322 districts, which is a lot. It’s a captive population of 650 million people. But in terms of initiatives, we’ve had the Asmita Women’s League.

Players in action during an ASMITA Rugby State League Jammu and Kashmir at the Multipurpose Indoor Sports Stadium.

Players in action during an ASMITA Rugby State League Jammu and Kashmir at the Multipurpose Indoor Sports Stadium. | Photo Credit: Imran Nissar

lightbox-info

Players in action during an ASMITA Rugby State League Jammu and Kashmir at the Multipurpose Indoor Sports Stadium. | Photo Credit: Imran Nissar

The Government of India has given us solid support, and between 30 and 50 cities across India have had a women’s rugby league last year. We have over 30 national tournaments that happen.

I would say that this is probably the most played, least known game in India.

Q: What are the realistic goals?

A: One is to make sure that something like the RPL happens, which brings rugby to the eyes of people through mass media. The second is for our (national) teams to do well. The moment our teams begin to win, it will automatically begin to become popular.

So for the teams to do well, you have to put a lot of money into high performance. Right now, our women are sixth in Asia out of 36 nations.

Rahul Bose feels the Indian women’s national team has a quicker chance to make it to the Olympics because of its higher ranking in Asia.

Rahul Bose feels the Indian women’s national team has a quicker chance to make it to the Olympics because of its higher ranking in Asia. | Photo Credit: Nissar Ahmad

lightbox-info

Rahul Bose feels the Indian women’s national team has a quicker chance to make it to the Olympics because of its higher ranking in Asia. | Photo Credit: Nissar Ahmad

For perspective, if you get to the top two, you make the Olympics. We are hopeful of making the Olympics in 2032. And we will be the first team sport, after hockey, in 90 years to get to the Olympics.

Of course, cricket is in the Olympics, but it’s a very small pool. But, making it to the Olympics in rugby out of over 100, to be one of the 14-15 nations will be very prestigious. Our men’s team, 12th in Asia, has to wait for one more cycle to get there.

Q: A roadmap for the sport?

A: We’ve had the road map in place for five years, month by month. In fact, when we submitted the road map to the government or the Ministry of Sports, they said they had never seen anything like it in their lives.

We submitted this in 2020 on what was planned up to 2030. We’ll be following that. We are slightly ahead in some things, and we’re slightly behind in others. Anyone can track us month by month.

Students in a training session at Universal Engineering College at Vallivattom, in Thrissur, Kerala.

Students in a training session at Universal Engineering College at Vallivattom, in Thrissur, Kerala. | Photo Credit: K.K. Najeeb

lightbox-info

Students in a training session at Universal Engineering College at Vallivattom, in Thrissur, Kerala. | Photo Credit: K.K. Najeeb

The Government has always asked for accountability, and we never shy away from being transparent and accountable. In fact, we were awarded the best Federation in the country by the FICCI last year because of our transparency, our ethics and our processes.

Q: On areas of focus?

A: It’s not in the big cities but in the districts, a cluster of schools, PETs (Physical Education Teachers) through our State Associations that are doing very good work. So we don’t go to one school.

ALSO READ: Rugby Premier League Season 2 squads finalised; women’s league set for historic debut

You cannot think of this as a metro sport but as a hinterland sport instead. Most of our players come from the bottom of the social pyramid. We don’t do a caste census. But socio-economically, they are the poorest of the poor.

Q: How are the players supported in the Rubgy ecosystem?

A: We are one of the few federations that give a yearly purse to every state to spend on development, for national tournaments, on jerseys, on transport and on food. That is what they spend in their districts, and all the State Associations have to submit detailed reports on follow-up actions.

Q: Tell us the state of sponsorship in Rugby.

A: Normally, all our tournaments are funded by us. We have sponsors like Capgemini and DHL, who fund Indian Rugby. We’ve had some government states supporting us in the past.

Chennai Bull's Vaafauese Apelu Maliko in action in the first season of Indian Rugby Premier League (RPL) final against Delhi Redz.

Chennai Bull’s Vaafauese Apelu Maliko in action in the first season of Indian Rugby Premier League (RPL) final against Delhi Redz. | Photo Credit: Getty Images

lightbox-info

Chennai Bull’s Vaafauese Apelu Maliko in action in the first season of Indian Rugby Premier League (RPL) final against Delhi Redz. | Photo Credit: Getty Images

We get money from the Central Government, World Rugby, and small amounts from the Capri Group and Jamuna Auto. So, we raise the money and spend it on national tournaments.

Q: What are the major changes you’re looking at from the Indian players’ perspective?

A: This is the Federation’s responsibility. It has to raise more money, work harder and build a 365-day-a-year ecosystem around our players. Right now, we can only afford to do it maybe 100 days a year.

We would like to build an ecosystem around our 30-40 best players from each team – Under-18 boys, under-18 girls, under-20 boys, under-20 girls, men and women.

Q: What are you looking for after the Rugby Premier League?

A: I think a real mark of success will be when the six franchises begin to do more work in developing an interest and creating infrastructure in the cities. We don’t have a (major) presence in the cities as a sport. So in these big six cities, we will start to have what we have never had before.

Published on May 02, 2026

#Rahul #Bose #bats #Rugby #Revolution #RPL #Womens #League #Olympic #ambitions #horizon

Sports news , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Film star-turned sports administrator Rahul Bose wears many hats, from being an award-winning actor to now, being the President of Rugby India.

Before the second edition of the Rugby Premier League (RPL), planned in Hyderabad next month, the 58-year-old discusses the present state of Rugby in India and the future of the sport, in an exclusive chat with Sportstar.

Q: How do you look at the second edition of the league? How different will it be from the first?

A: Yes, we were always wanting to have an RPL Women last year also. But because there was so much to look at, which was new to us, we decided to stay with RPL Men. But this year, the franchises have been very, very forthcoming.

We have dug into our pockets, and we have made sure that we have created the financial as well as operational space to run a women’s league at the same time as the men’s. So in effect, the same two weeks that we had last year, when the men’s league was running, the women’s league will run at the same time. Instead of two games a day, we’ll have four, sometimes five games a day.

It will build for a longer, more interesting evening for people who are coming to the stadium as well as those who are viewing it online. That’s one big difference. The second big difference is that our partners — Jio Hotstar and Star Sports have now partnered to have it on YouTube and TV.

ALSO READ: RPL 2026 — Second season of Rugby Premier League to be played in Hyderabad in June

We were always certain that the venue would move from city to city. From Mumbai, it has come to Hyderabad and will move to other venues in future.

Q: How do you see Hyderabad as a venue?

A: It’s a city where the scale of the stadium is bigger than what we had in Mumbai. So we are very much looking forward to having experiences for fans and things in the stadium, along with the fact that it’s a longer evening. So we are very clear that we are setting our sights on creating not one but two world-class products.

The second season of Rugby Premier League will take place at the Gachibowli Stadium, which has also hosted football matches in the past.
| Photo Credit:
Nagara Gopal

lightbox-info

The second season of Rugby Premier League will take place at the Gachibowli Stadium, which has also hosted football matches in the past.
| Photo Credit:
Nagara Gopal

Q: What are the major challenges involved in getting franchises for the Women’s League?

A: I think almost everybody was ideologically very, very certain that they wanted to be part of it. But the economics had to work. And we are a league where we run a very tight ship. We are very, very collaborative and fair with our franchise owners.

At the same time, we cannot expect, should I say, generosity that’s unreasonable. So everybody was ideologically in line with us. So, what we did was we made a lot of attractive benefits for franchises, more attractive than they were last year, so that they would come to the women’s game this year. Thankfully, our franchises understood that.

We didn’t want to go for six or eight franchises because of the operational difficulties. So four is very solid, and we’ll have 48 players, 24 foreigners, 24 Indians. And yet, it will be operationally manageable.

Q: How is the pace of the sport across India?

A: India has 760 districts. Rugby is in 322 districts. 40 per cent of India plays rugby. So our grassroots are strong. For the last five years, we’ve had 320 districts. We had the option to either spread the districts or to deepen the involvement of the players in those districts. We’ve chosen the latter. We’ve chosen to deepen involvement in the 322 districts. We want those players to stay with the game.

Q: Any major initiatives to take the sport to the next level?

A: We are not taking it to more unexplored regions. We are (already) in 322 districts, which is a lot. It’s a captive population of 650 million people. But in terms of initiatives, we’ve had the Asmita Women’s League.

Players in action during an ASMITA Rugby State League Jammu and Kashmir at the Multipurpose Indoor Sports Stadium.

Players in action during an ASMITA Rugby State League Jammu and Kashmir at the Multipurpose Indoor Sports Stadium.
| Photo Credit:
Imran Nissar

lightbox-info

Players in action during an ASMITA Rugby State League Jammu and Kashmir at the Multipurpose Indoor Sports Stadium.
| Photo Credit:
Imran Nissar

The Government of India has given us solid support, and between 30 and 50 cities across India have had a women’s rugby league last year. We have over 30 national tournaments that happen.

I would say that this is probably the most played, least known game in India.

Q: What are the realistic goals?

A: One is to make sure that something like the RPL happens, which brings rugby to the eyes of people through mass media. The second is for our (national) teams to do well. The moment our teams begin to win, it will automatically begin to become popular.

So for the teams to do well, you have to put a lot of money into high performance. Right now, our women are sixth in Asia out of 36 nations.

Rahul Bose feels the Indian women’s national team has a quicker chance to make it to the Olympics because of its higher ranking in Asia.

Rahul Bose feels the Indian women’s national team has a quicker chance to make it to the Olympics because of its higher ranking in Asia.
| Photo Credit:
Nissar Ahmad

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Rahul Bose feels the Indian women’s national team has a quicker chance to make it to the Olympics because of its higher ranking in Asia.
| Photo Credit:
Nissar Ahmad

For perspective, if you get to the top two, you make the Olympics. We are hopeful of making the Olympics in 2032. And we will be the first team sport, after hockey, in 90 years to get to the Olympics.

Of course, cricket is in the Olympics, but it’s a very small pool. But, making it to the Olympics in rugby out of over 100, to be one of the 14-15 nations will be very prestigious. Our men’s team, 12th in Asia, has to wait for one more cycle to get there.

Q: A roadmap for the sport?

A: We’ve had the road map in place for five years, month by month. In fact, when we submitted the road map to the government or the Ministry of Sports, they said they had never seen anything like it in their lives.

We submitted this in 2020 on what was planned up to 2030. We’ll be following that. We are slightly ahead in some things, and we’re slightly behind in others. Anyone can track us month by month.

Students in a training session at Universal Engineering College at Vallivattom, in Thrissur, Kerala.

Students in a training session at Universal Engineering College at Vallivattom, in Thrissur, Kerala.
| Photo Credit:
K.K. Najeeb

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Students in a training session at Universal Engineering College at Vallivattom, in Thrissur, Kerala.
| Photo Credit:
K.K. Najeeb

The Government has always asked for accountability, and we never shy away from being transparent and accountable. In fact, we were awarded the best Federation in the country by the FICCI last year because of our transparency, our ethics and our processes.

Q: On areas of focus?

A: It’s not in the big cities but in the districts, a cluster of schools, PETs (Physical Education Teachers) through our State Associations that are doing very good work. So we don’t go to one school.

ALSO READ: Rugby Premier League Season 2 squads finalised; women’s league set for historic debut

You cannot think of this as a metro sport but as a hinterland sport instead. Most of our players come from the bottom of the social pyramid. We don’t do a caste census. But socio-economically, they are the poorest of the poor.

Q: How are the players supported in the Rubgy ecosystem?

A: We are one of the few federations that give a yearly purse to every state to spend on development, for national tournaments, on jerseys, on transport and on food. That is what they spend in their districts, and all the State Associations have to submit detailed reports on follow-up actions.

Q: Tell us the state of sponsorship in Rugby.

A: Normally, all our tournaments are funded by us. We have sponsors like Capgemini and DHL, who fund Indian Rugby. We’ve had some government states supporting us in the past.

Chennai Bull's Vaafauese Apelu Maliko in action in the first season of Indian Rugby Premier League (RPL) final against Delhi Redz.

Chennai Bull’s Vaafauese Apelu Maliko in action in the first season of Indian Rugby Premier League (RPL) final against Delhi Redz.
| Photo Credit:
Getty Images

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Chennai Bull’s Vaafauese Apelu Maliko in action in the first season of Indian Rugby Premier League (RPL) final against Delhi Redz.
| Photo Credit:
Getty Images

We get money from the Central Government, World Rugby, and small amounts from the Capri Group and Jamuna Auto. So, we raise the money and spend it on national tournaments.

Q: What are the major changes you’re looking at from the Indian players’ perspective?

A: This is the Federation’s responsibility. It has to raise more money, work harder and build a 365-day-a-year ecosystem around our players. Right now, we can only afford to do it maybe 100 days a year.

We would like to build an ecosystem around our 30-40 best players from each team – Under-18 boys, under-18 girls, under-20 boys, under-20 girls, men and women.

Q: What are you looking for after the Rugby Premier League?

A: I think a real mark of success will be when the six franchises begin to do more work in developing an interest and creating infrastructure in the cities. We don’t have a (major) presence in the cities as a sport. So in these big six cities, we will start to have what we have never had before.

Published on May 02, 2026

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#Rahul #Bose #bats #Rugby #Revolution #RPL #Womens #League #Olympic #ambitions #horizon

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Deadspin | Cubs stay hot, edge Diamondbacks in series opener <div id=""><section id="0" class=" w-full"><div class="xl:container mx-0 !px-4 py-0 pb-4 !mx-0 !px-0"><img src="https://images.deadspin.com/tr:w-900/28854922.jpg" srcset="https://images.deadspin.com/tr:w-900/28854922.jpg" alt="MLB: Arizona Diamondbacks at Chicago Cubs" class="w-full" fetchpriority="high" loading="eager"/><span class="text-0.8 leading-tight">May 1, 2026; Chicago, Illinois, USA; Chicago Cubs center fielder Pete Crow-Armstrong (4) high fives the fans after scoring against the Arizona Diamondbacks during the fourth inning at Wrigley Field. Mandatory Credit: David Banks-Imagn Images<!-- --> <!-- --> </span></div></section><section id="section-1"> <p>Michael Busch had two hits, including a two-run single, and the Chicago Cubs used two three-run innings to hold off the visiting Arizona Diamondbacks 6-5 on Friday in the first game of a weekend series.</p> </section><section id="section-2"> <p>Busch triggered a three-run first with a bases-loaded single, then the Cubs added three more in the fourth off Diamondbacks starter off Zac Gallen (1-2) for their third win in four games and ninth straight home win.</p> </section><section id="section-3"> <p>Cubs starter Colin Rea (4-1) gave up two runs on eight hits over 5 1/3 innings. He fanned six with no walks. Jacob Webb pitched the final two innings for his first save, the sixth Cub reliever to record a save this season.</p> </section><section id="section-4"> <p>Diamondbacks second baseman Ildemaro Vargas had a career-high four hits to raise his batting average to a major league-leading .404. Geraldo Perdomo cracked a three-run homer to cap a four-run sixth and pull the D-backs within 6-5, but they managed just one baserunner over the final three innings.</p> </section><section id="section-5"> <p>Vargas singled in the first to extend his season-opening hitting streak to 24 games. His 27-game streak dating to last September ranks as the longest in the majors since Trea Turner’s 27-game run in 2022.</p> </section><section id="section-6"> <p>Per Elias, Vargas’ season-opening streak stands as the longest in the majors since the Detroit Tigers’ Ron LeFlore hit in 30 straight in 1976. His 27-game streak ranks second in Arizona history behind Luis Gonzalez (30, 1999).</p> </section><br/><section id="section-7"> <p>Carson Kelly had two hits for the Cubs and Alex Bergman and Dansby Swanson had RBI hits in the three-run fourth that pushed their lead to 6-1.</p> </section> <section id="section-8"> <p>Jorge Barrosa had two doubles — one a bunt that kicked off the third base bag into left field — and scored twice for Arizona. Perdomo also had two hits for the D-backs, who have lost seven of 10.</p> </section><section id="section-9"> <p>Gallen gave up six runs on seven hits in 3 2/3 innings, with three strikeouts and three walks.</p> </section><section id="section-10"> <p>Nico Hoerner doubled to open the three-run first and Gallen walked to load the bases. Busch hit a two-run single, then the third run scored when Kelly’s catchable pop to center fell safely.</p> </section><section id="section-11"> <p>Vargas singled in a run in the third before the Cubs knocked out Gallen in the fourth. The D-backs got within 6-5 with a four-run sixth, all scoring after Rea was replaced by Ryan Rolison with one out and one on.</p> </section><section id="section-12"> <p>Pinch-hitter Tim Tawa walked and Barrosa pushed a hard bunt down the third base line. When Bregman let it roll, the ball hit the bag and kicked into short left. Perdomo followed with a three-run homer.</p> </section><section id="section-13"> <p>Hoerner was replaced by pinch-hitter Matt Shaw in the second inning. Hoerner was removed with a neck strain, the Cubs said.</p> </section><br/><section id="section-14"> <p>–Field Level Media</p> </section> </div> #Deadspin #Cubs #stay #hot #edge #Diamondbacks #series #opener

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Graphics of the ‘winner’ and the ‘runner-up’ were being tested on the big screen at the Shyama Prasad Mukherjee Indoor Stadium, more than two hours before the Ultimate Table Tennis 2026 final between Goa Challengers and U Mumba on Sunday. The in-house DJ even whipped out a remixed version of the quintessential song at any final, Queen’s We are the Champions.

In the lead-up to this clash, the Challengers were undefeated, while U Mumba recovered from an early hiccup to make the summit clash for the second edition in a row. But the host was due a bad day, if the law of averages is to be invoked.

Unlike the semifinals, the final went till the fifth match of the tie as U Mumba beat Goa Challengers 8-5 to lift its second consecutive title and take home the prize money of Rs. 60 lakh. The Challengers bagged Rs. 40 lakh as the runner-up, while losing semifinalists Dabang Delhi and Kolkata Thunder Blades each claimed Rs. 17.5 lakh.

It was 18-year-old Abhinandh P. B. who began the tie for Goa against Mumba’s Lilian Bardet. Just like the league-stage fixture between the two sides, which had incidentally opened this iteration, the Indian bagged the win. However, the Frenchman Bardet clinched the third to open his side’s account.

Next up was Goa captain Bernadette Szocs who came back from a game down to clinch a 2-1 win against Wales’ Anna Hursey. With Goa holding a slight edge at 4-2, the Romanian gave her side some breathing space, whilst doing her trademark heart celebration with a few spins.

Hursey then partnered with captain Manush Shah to face Syndrela Das and Alvaro Robles. In the league-stage match, it was Abhinandh and Szocs who had faced the same U Mumba and they had come away with a 2-1 win. On the other hand, the Syndrela-Robles pair had played four and won just two in the lead-up. The synergy between the U Mumba duo was on display with a point in the second game capturing it.

READ | ‘I want to be a superstar’: Teen paddler Abhinandh making waves in UTT 2026

Manush had to reach out under the table to retrieve with a forehand chop before Hursey sent it down the line to set up game point, leading to Robles throwing his racquet high in the air in exasperation. The Spaniard’s annoyance was only compounded after the U Mumba duo completed a 3-0 thumping, ahead of his crucial singles tie against Manush.

Despite the setback, Robles gave the Challengers a sliver of hope by winning one game to take the tie into the final match.

The second game had a few rallies which one finds on their Instagram feeds while scrolling — the players nowhere near the table and showcasing their athleticism to send the ball back and forth. Both those rallies ended in Robles’ favour, but his luck ran out when Manush clinched the Golden Point to equalise 1-1. The Gujarat local went on to bag the win and the tie stood at 7-5, and he had played a crucial role in his team bagging six games in a row.

After one bespectacled paddler did the job for U Mumba, it was the turn of another, Anusha Kutumbale, to complete the job for her side, needing just one game to retain the title.

And Anusha kept her nerve, converting the Golden Point in the first game. As Syndrela’s shot bounced off the net and went out, the U Mumba dugout ran out to embrace Anusha in jubilation. The team members jumped around in a circle as they became only the second team in UTT history to retain the title.

Published on Jul 26, 2026

#UTT #Mumba #backtoback #thrilling #win #Goa #Challengers">UTT 2026: U Mumba goes back-to-back with thrilling win over Goa Challengers Graphics of the ‘winner’ and the ‘runner-up’ were being tested on the big screen at the Shyama Prasad Mukherjee Indoor Stadium, more than two hours before the Ultimate Table Tennis 2026 final between Goa Challengers and U Mumba on Sunday. The in-house DJ even whipped out a remixed version of the quintessential song at any final, Queen’s We are the Champions.In the lead-up to this clash, the Challengers were undefeated, while U Mumba recovered from an early hiccup to make the summit clash for the second edition in a row. But the host was due a bad day, if the law of averages is to be invoked.Unlike the semifinals, the final went till the fifth match of the tie as U Mumba beat Goa Challengers 8-5 to lift its second consecutive title and take home the prize money of Rs. 60 lakh. The Challengers bagged Rs. 40 lakh as the runner-up, while losing semifinalists Dabang Delhi and Kolkata Thunder Blades each claimed Rs. 17.5 lakh.It was 18-year-old Abhinandh P. B. who began the tie for Goa against Mumba’s Lilian Bardet. Just like the league-stage fixture between the two sides, which had incidentally opened this iteration, the Indian bagged the win. However, the Frenchman Bardet clinched the third to open his side’s account.Next up was Goa captain Bernadette Szocs who came back from a game down to clinch a 2-1 win against Wales’ Anna Hursey. With Goa holding a slight edge at 4-2, the Romanian gave her side some breathing space, whilst doing her trademark heart celebration with a few spins.Hursey then partnered with captain Manush Shah to face Syndrela Das and Alvaro Robles. In the league-stage match, it was Abhinandh and Szocs who had faced the same U Mumba and they had come away with a 2-1 win. On the other hand, the Syndrela-Robles pair had played four and won just two in the lead-up. The synergy between the U Mumba duo was on display with a point in the second game capturing it.READ | ‘I want to be a superstar’: Teen paddler Abhinandh making waves in UTT 2026Manush had to reach out under the table to retrieve with a forehand chop before Hursey sent it down the line to set up game point, leading to Robles throwing his racquet high in the air in exasperation. The Spaniard’s annoyance was only compounded after the U Mumba duo completed a 3-0 thumping, ahead of his crucial singles tie against Manush.Despite the setback, Robles gave the Challengers a sliver of hope by winning one game to take the tie into the final match.The second game had a few rallies which one finds on their Instagram feeds while scrolling — the players nowhere near the table and showcasing their athleticism to send the ball back and forth. Both those rallies ended in Robles’ favour, but his luck ran out when Manush clinched the Golden Point to equalise 1-1. The Gujarat local went on to bag the win and the tie stood at 7-5, and he had played a crucial role in his team bagging six games in a row.After one bespectacled paddler did the job for U Mumba, it was the turn of another, Anusha Kutumbale, to complete the job for her side, needing just one game to retain the title.And Anusha kept her nerve, converting the Golden Point in the first game. As Syndrela’s shot bounced off the net and went out, the U Mumba dugout ran out to embrace Anusha in jubilation. The team members jumped around in a circle as they became only the second team in UTT history to retain the title.Published on Jul 26, 2026 #UTT #Mumba #backtoback #thrilling #win #Goa #Challengers

‘I want to be a superstar’: Teen paddler Abhinandh making waves in UTT 2026

Manush had to reach out under the table to retrieve with a forehand chop before Hursey sent it down the line to set up game point, leading to Robles throwing his racquet high in the air in exasperation. The Spaniard’s annoyance was only compounded after the U Mumba duo completed a 3-0 thumping, ahead of his crucial singles tie against Manush.

Despite the setback, Robles gave the Challengers a sliver of hope by winning one game to take the tie into the final match.

The second game had a few rallies which one finds on their Instagram feeds while scrolling — the players nowhere near the table and showcasing their athleticism to send the ball back and forth. Both those rallies ended in Robles’ favour, but his luck ran out when Manush clinched the Golden Point to equalise 1-1. The Gujarat local went on to bag the win and the tie stood at 7-5, and he had played a crucial role in his team bagging six games in a row.

After one bespectacled paddler did the job for U Mumba, it was the turn of another, Anusha Kutumbale, to complete the job for her side, needing just one game to retain the title.

And Anusha kept her nerve, converting the Golden Point in the first game. As Syndrela’s shot bounced off the net and went out, the U Mumba dugout ran out to embrace Anusha in jubilation. The team members jumped around in a circle as they became only the second team in UTT history to retain the title.

Published on Jul 26, 2026

#UTT #Mumba #backtoback #thrilling #win #Goa #Challengers">UTT 2026: U Mumba goes back-to-back with thrilling win over Goa Challengers

Graphics of the ‘winner’ and the ‘runner-up’ were being tested on the big screen at the Shyama Prasad Mukherjee Indoor Stadium, more than two hours before the Ultimate Table Tennis 2026 final between Goa Challengers and U Mumba on Sunday. The in-house DJ even whipped out a remixed version of the quintessential song at any final, Queen’s We are the Champions.

In the lead-up to this clash, the Challengers were undefeated, while U Mumba recovered from an early hiccup to make the summit clash for the second edition in a row. But the host was due a bad day, if the law of averages is to be invoked.

Unlike the semifinals, the final went till the fifth match of the tie as U Mumba beat Goa Challengers 8-5 to lift its second consecutive title and take home the prize money of Rs. 60 lakh. The Challengers bagged Rs. 40 lakh as the runner-up, while losing semifinalists Dabang Delhi and Kolkata Thunder Blades each claimed Rs. 17.5 lakh.

It was 18-year-old Abhinandh P. B. who began the tie for Goa against Mumba’s Lilian Bardet. Just like the league-stage fixture between the two sides, which had incidentally opened this iteration, the Indian bagged the win. However, the Frenchman Bardet clinched the third to open his side’s account.

Next up was Goa captain Bernadette Szocs who came back from a game down to clinch a 2-1 win against Wales’ Anna Hursey. With Goa holding a slight edge at 4-2, the Romanian gave her side some breathing space, whilst doing her trademark heart celebration with a few spins.

Hursey then partnered with captain Manush Shah to face Syndrela Das and Alvaro Robles. In the league-stage match, it was Abhinandh and Szocs who had faced the same U Mumba and they had come away with a 2-1 win. On the other hand, the Syndrela-Robles pair had played four and won just two in the lead-up. The synergy between the U Mumba duo was on display with a point in the second game capturing it.

READ | ‘I want to be a superstar’: Teen paddler Abhinandh making waves in UTT 2026

Manush had to reach out under the table to retrieve with a forehand chop before Hursey sent it down the line to set up game point, leading to Robles throwing his racquet high in the air in exasperation. The Spaniard’s annoyance was only compounded after the U Mumba duo completed a 3-0 thumping, ahead of his crucial singles tie against Manush.

Despite the setback, Robles gave the Challengers a sliver of hope by winning one game to take the tie into the final match.

The second game had a few rallies which one finds on their Instagram feeds while scrolling — the players nowhere near the table and showcasing their athleticism to send the ball back and forth. Both those rallies ended in Robles’ favour, but his luck ran out when Manush clinched the Golden Point to equalise 1-1. The Gujarat local went on to bag the win and the tie stood at 7-5, and he had played a crucial role in his team bagging six games in a row.

After one bespectacled paddler did the job for U Mumba, it was the turn of another, Anusha Kutumbale, to complete the job for her side, needing just one game to retain the title.

And Anusha kept her nerve, converting the Golden Point in the first game. As Syndrela’s shot bounced off the net and went out, the U Mumba dugout ran out to embrace Anusha in jubilation. The team members jumped around in a circle as they became only the second team in UTT history to retain the title.

Published on Jul 26, 2026

#UTT #Mumba #backtoback #thrilling #win #Goa #Challengers
Deadspin | Rams QB Ty Simpson becomes last first-round pick to sign Jun 2, 2026; Woodland Hills, CA, USA; Los Angeles Rams quarterback Ty Simpson (15) throws the ball during organized team activities at Rams Practice Facility. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images Quarterback Ty Simpson became the last of the 2026 first-round draft picks to sign on Saturday, coming to terms with the Los Angeles Rams. The rookie’s contract is fully guaranteed at four years and .4 million with a .9 signing bonus, NFL Network reported on Saturday. The Rams, with reigning NFL Most Valuable Player Matthew Stafford at quarterback, made a stunning selection in April by drafting Simpson with the 13th overall pick. Simpson, projected as a second-rounder, passed for 3,567 yards with 28 touchdowns and five interceptions in 15 games at Alabama last season, his first as a starter. He now is projected to have time to develop as a backup to Stafford, 38. The only other quarterback to be selected in the first round, Indiana’s Fernando Mendoza, went No. 1 overall to the Las Vegas Raiders. The Heisman Trophy winner signed a four-year rookie deal worth a fully guaranteed .27 million which includes a fifth-year option. –Field Level Media #Deadspin #Rams #Simpson #firstround #pick #signJun 2, 2026; Woodland Hills, CA, USA; Los Angeles Rams quarterback Ty Simpson (15) throws the ball during organized team activities at Rams Practice Facility. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

Quarterback Ty Simpson became the last of the 2026 first-round draft picks to sign on Saturday, coming to terms with the Los Angeles Rams.

The rookie’s contract is fully guaranteed at four years and $25.4 million with a $14.9 signing bonus, NFL Network reported on Saturday.


The Rams, with reigning NFL Most Valuable Player Matthew Stafford at quarterback, made a stunning selection in April by drafting Simpson with the 13th overall pick.

Simpson, projected as a second-rounder, passed for 3,567 yards with 28 touchdowns and five interceptions in 15 games at Alabama last season, his first as a starter. He now is projected to have time to develop as a backup to Stafford, 38.

The only other quarterback to be selected in the first round, Indiana’s Fernando Mendoza, went No. 1 overall to the Las Vegas Raiders. The Heisman Trophy winner signed a four-year rookie deal worth a fully guaranteed $57.27 million which includes a fifth-year option.


–Field Level Media

#Deadspin #Rams #Simpson #firstround #pick #sign">Deadspin | Rams QB Ty Simpson becomes last first-round pick to sign Jun 2, 2026; Woodland Hills, CA, USA; Los Angeles Rams quarterback Ty Simpson (15) throws the ball during organized team activities at Rams Practice Facility. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images Quarterback Ty Simpson became the last of the 2026 first-round draft picks to sign on Saturday, coming to terms with the Los Angeles Rams. The rookie’s contract is fully guaranteed at four years and .4 million with a .9 signing bonus, NFL Network reported on Saturday. The Rams, with reigning NFL Most Valuable Player Matthew Stafford at quarterback, made a stunning selection in April by drafting Simpson with the 13th overall pick. Simpson, projected as a second-rounder, passed for 3,567 yards with 28 touchdowns and five interceptions in 15 games at Alabama last season, his first as a starter. He now is projected to have time to develop as a backup to Stafford, 38. The only other quarterback to be selected in the first round, Indiana’s Fernando Mendoza, went No. 1 overall to the Las Vegas Raiders. The Heisman Trophy winner signed a four-year rookie deal worth a fully guaranteed .27 million which includes a fifth-year option. –Field Level Media #Deadspin #Rams #Simpson #firstround #pick #sign

If you are reading this, chances are you are a Formula 1 fan.

And if my years of covering the sport have taught me anything, it is this: F1 fans have opinions.

If that sounds like you, then you are in luck. As part of several new features we are rolling out here at SB Nation, we have created a new F1 Feed, a home for F1 fans to congregate and chat about the sport we love.

Interested in how to get started?

Let’s dive in, answering some questions that you might have before you start posting.

In recent months, SB Nation has emphasized one of our core tenets: The idea of community.

It began with rolling out a Feed at individual communities, a chance for fans of a specific team to chat about that franchise. Whether it is the Feed at Pats Pulpit where New England Patriots fans gather, or the Feed at Over the Monster where Boston Red Sox fans gather, it is a chance for fans of those teams to chat about everything that is happening, 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

But the next step in this community focus is league-specific Feeds, where fans of a particular sport can gather to talk about the big picture.

And that is where the new F1 Feed comes in, a chance for Formula 1 fans to congregate not just on race days, but all year long, to talk about the sport they love.

It begins with an SB Nation account. If you do not have one, you can go to sbnation.com or the F1 Feed itself, and you will see in the upper-right corner a link to sign up. Here it is on the F1 Feed, in the upper right:

Once you click that link, you’ll be taken to this page, where you can sign up using your e-mail address, or via another means such as Google, Facebook, or Apple:

Once you are signed up and logged in, you can head over to the F1 Feed and get started.

What can I do on the F1 Feed?

Basically, anything you want!

For example, you can reply to existing posts, to keep the conversation going. We can use this post as an example:

This is an example post, following FP2 at the Hungarian Grand Prix. You can recommend posts — those are always welcome — reply to posts, or even share them!

That goes for every reply in a thread, those can be recommended, replied to, or shared.

If you want to start your own post/thread, simply click on the “Create Post” button that you see here in the upper right:

What kind of posts can you create?

It can be a discussion post, such as “How did you get into F1?” Or you can share something you saw on social media that you think other fans might enjoy. Leo Leclerc do something cute in the paddock and you saw it on social media, you can post that with a link! It’s a simple copy/paste of the URL and adding a title to the post. Such as this:

If you’ve got more to say, you can use the “Advanced Editor” that has even more features. Click “Create Post” and you will see an option for the “Advanced Editor:”

Here, you could write a full-blown article if you wanted to. You can use different typefaces (bold, italics, sarcasm), add bullet points, add links, and basically do everything that I get to do when posting my own articles to SB Nation.

Can I share my own content?

One of the great things about the F1 space is the amount of creators that are out there, doing incredible work each and every day. I log onto social media all the time and am blown away by what people are creating, whether on TikTok, Threads, Instagram, YouTube, various podcasts, or all of the above.

If you have something you want to share with the community, feel free!

One of the questions I have gotten a lot in recent weeks, when explaining the Feed concept to friends and family members, is this: “Why are you doing this?”

Let’s take this in two ways, first the macro and then the micro.

On a larger, SB Nation level, this is a logical step in our shared idea of community. SB Nation began as a collection of fan-driven blogs, first from a few teams, and now into a massive site with nearly 200 team-specific communities.

This is a way to give every member, every fan, more of a voice in those communities.

But on a micro, F1-level, I’m hoping this becomes a place for fans to talk, share, and support each other. I know the idea of yet another place to login, to visit, might sound like too much, and I get that. But the idea is the same: A sense of community. As the internet itself feels more and more fractured — and perhaps even more and more fake — every day, some of us long for the bygone days of community.

If that also sounds like you, welcome aboard.

#join #conversation #Nation #Feed">How to join the F1 conversation on the new SB Nation F1 Feed If you are reading this, chances are you are a Formula 1 fan.And if my years of covering the sport have taught me anything, it is this: F1 fans have opinions.If that sounds like you, then you are in luck. As part of several new features we are rolling out here at SB Nation, we have created a new F1 Feed, a home for F1 fans to congregate and chat about the sport we love.Interested in how to get started?Let’s dive in, answering some questions that you might have before you start posting.In recent months, SB Nation has emphasized one of our core tenets: The idea of community.It began with rolling out a Feed at individual communities, a chance for fans of a specific team to chat about that franchise. Whether it is the Feed at Pats Pulpit where New England Patriots fans gather, or the Feed at Over the Monster where Boston Red Sox fans gather, it is a chance for fans of those teams to chat about everything that is happening, 24 hours a day, seven days a week.But the next step in this community focus is league-specific Feeds, where fans of a particular sport can gather to talk about the big picture.And that is where the new F1 Feed comes in, a chance for Formula 1 fans to congregate not just on race days, but all year long, to talk about the sport they love.It begins with an SB Nation account. If you do not have one, you can go to sbnation.com or the F1 Feed itself, and you will see in the upper-right corner a link to sign up. Here it is on the F1 Feed, in the upper right:Once you click that link, you’ll be taken to this page, where you can sign up using your e-mail address, or via another means such as Google, Facebook, or Apple:Once you are signed up and logged in, you can head over to the F1 Feed and get started.What can I do on the F1 Feed?Basically, anything you want!For example, you can reply to existing posts, to keep the conversation going. We can use this post as an example:This is an example post, following FP2 at the Hungarian Grand Prix. You can recommend posts — those are always welcome — reply to posts, or even share them!That goes for every reply in a thread, those can be recommended, replied to, or shared.If you want to start your own post/thread, simply click on the “Create Post” button that you see here in the upper right:What kind of posts can you create?It can be a discussion post, such as “How did you get into F1?” Or you can share something you saw on social media that you think other fans might enjoy. Leo Leclerc do something cute in the paddock and you saw it on social media, you can post that with a link! It’s a simple copy/paste of the URL and adding a title to the post. Such as this:If you’ve got more to say, you can use the “Advanced Editor” that has even more features. Click “Create Post” and you will see an option for the “Advanced Editor:”Here, you could write a full-blown article if you wanted to. You can use different typefaces (bold, italics, sarcasm), add bullet points, add links, and basically do everything that I get to do when posting my own articles to SB Nation.Can I share my own content?One of the great things about the F1 space is the amount of creators that are out there, doing incredible work each and every day. I log onto social media all the time and am blown away by what people are creating, whether on TikTok, Threads, Instagram, YouTube, various podcasts, or all of the above.If you have something you want to share with the community, feel free!One of the questions I have gotten a lot in recent weeks, when explaining the Feed concept to friends and family members, is this: “Why are you doing this?”Let’s take this in two ways, first the macro and then the micro.On a larger, SB Nation level, this is a logical step in our shared idea of community. SB Nation began as a collection of fan-driven blogs, first from a few teams, and now into a massive site with nearly 200 team-specific communities.This is a way to give every member, every fan, more of a voice in those communities.But on a micro, F1-level, I’m hoping this becomes a place for fans to talk, share, and support each other. I know the idea of yet another place to login, to visit, might sound like too much, and I get that. But the idea is the same: A sense of community. As the internet itself feels more and more fractured — and perhaps even more and more fake — every day, some of us long for the bygone days of community.If that also sounds like you, welcome aboard. #join #conversation #Nation #Feed

new F1 Feed, a home for F1 fans to congregate and chat about the sport we love.

Interested in how to get started?

Let’s dive in, answering some questions that you might have before you start posting.

In recent months, SB Nation has emphasized one of our core tenets: The idea of community.

It began with rolling out a Feed at individual communities, a chance for fans of a specific team to chat about that franchise. Whether it is the Feed at Pats Pulpit where New England Patriots fans gather, or the Feed at Over the Monster where Boston Red Sox fans gather, it is a chance for fans of those teams to chat about everything that is happening, 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

But the next step in this community focus is league-specific Feeds, where fans of a particular sport can gather to talk about the big picture.

And that is where the new F1 Feed comes in, a chance for Formula 1 fans to congregate not just on race days, but all year long, to talk about the sport they love.

It begins with an SB Nation account. If you do not have one, you can go to sbnation.com or the F1 Feed itself, and you will see in the upper-right corner a link to sign up. Here it is on the F1 Feed, in the upper right:

Once you click that link, you’ll be taken to this page, where you can sign up using your e-mail address, or via another means such as Google, Facebook, or Apple:

Once you are signed up and logged in, you can head over to the F1 Feed and get started.

What can I do on the F1 Feed?

Basically, anything you want!

For example, you can reply to existing posts, to keep the conversation going. We can use this post as an example:

This is an example post, following FP2 at the Hungarian Grand Prix. You can recommend posts — those are always welcome — reply to posts, or even share them!

That goes for every reply in a thread, those can be recommended, replied to, or shared.

If you want to start your own post/thread, simply click on the “Create Post” button that you see here in the upper right:

What kind of posts can you create?

It can be a discussion post, such as “How did you get into F1?” Or you can share something you saw on social media that you think other fans might enjoy. Leo Leclerc do something cute in the paddock and you saw it on social media, you can post that with a link! It’s a simple copy/paste of the URL and adding a title to the post. Such as this:

If you’ve got more to say, you can use the “Advanced Editor” that has even more features. Click “Create Post” and you will see an option for the “Advanced Editor:”

Here, you could write a full-blown article if you wanted to. You can use different typefaces (bold, italics, sarcasm), add bullet points, add links, and basically do everything that I get to do when posting my own articles to SB Nation.

Can I share my own content?

One of the great things about the F1 space is the amount of creators that are out there, doing incredible work each and every day. I log onto social media all the time and am blown away by what people are creating, whether on TikTok, Threads, Instagram, YouTube, various podcasts, or all of the above.

If you have something you want to share with the community, feel free!

One of the questions I have gotten a lot in recent weeks, when explaining the Feed concept to friends and family members, is this: “Why are you doing this?”

Let’s take this in two ways, first the macro and then the micro.

On a larger, SB Nation level, this is a logical step in our shared idea of community. SB Nation began as a collection of fan-driven blogs, first from a few teams, and now into a massive site with nearly 200 team-specific communities.

This is a way to give every member, every fan, more of a voice in those communities.

But on a micro, F1-level, I’m hoping this becomes a place for fans to talk, share, and support each other. I know the idea of yet another place to login, to visit, might sound like too much, and I get that. But the idea is the same: A sense of community. As the internet itself feels more and more fractured — and perhaps even more and more fake — every day, some of us long for the bygone days of community.

If that also sounds like you, welcome aboard.

#join #conversation #Nation #Feed">How to join the F1 conversation on the new SB Nation F1 Feed

If you are reading this, chances are you are a Formula 1 fan.

And if my years of covering the sport have taught me anything, it is this: F1 fans have opinions.

If that sounds like you, then you are in luck. As part of several new features we are rolling out here at SB Nation, we have created a new F1 Feed, a home for F1 fans to congregate and chat about the sport we love.

Interested in how to get started?

Let’s dive in, answering some questions that you might have before you start posting.

In recent months, SB Nation has emphasized one of our core tenets: The idea of community.

It began with rolling out a Feed at individual communities, a chance for fans of a specific team to chat about that franchise. Whether it is the Feed at Pats Pulpit where New England Patriots fans gather, or the Feed at Over the Monster where Boston Red Sox fans gather, it is a chance for fans of those teams to chat about everything that is happening, 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

But the next step in this community focus is league-specific Feeds, where fans of a particular sport can gather to talk about the big picture.

And that is where the new F1 Feed comes in, a chance for Formula 1 fans to congregate not just on race days, but all year long, to talk about the sport they love.

It begins with an SB Nation account. If you do not have one, you can go to sbnation.com or the F1 Feed itself, and you will see in the upper-right corner a link to sign up. Here it is on the F1 Feed, in the upper right:

Once you click that link, you’ll be taken to this page, where you can sign up using your e-mail address, or via another means such as Google, Facebook, or Apple:

Once you are signed up and logged in, you can head over to the F1 Feed and get started.

What can I do on the F1 Feed?

Basically, anything you want!

For example, you can reply to existing posts, to keep the conversation going. We can use this post as an example:

This is an example post, following FP2 at the Hungarian Grand Prix. You can recommend posts — those are always welcome — reply to posts, or even share them!

That goes for every reply in a thread, those can be recommended, replied to, or shared.

If you want to start your own post/thread, simply click on the “Create Post” button that you see here in the upper right:

What kind of posts can you create?

It can be a discussion post, such as “How did you get into F1?” Or you can share something you saw on social media that you think other fans might enjoy. Leo Leclerc do something cute in the paddock and you saw it on social media, you can post that with a link! It’s a simple copy/paste of the URL and adding a title to the post. Such as this:

If you’ve got more to say, you can use the “Advanced Editor” that has even more features. Click “Create Post” and you will see an option for the “Advanced Editor:”

Here, you could write a full-blown article if you wanted to. You can use different typefaces (bold, italics, sarcasm), add bullet points, add links, and basically do everything that I get to do when posting my own articles to SB Nation.

Can I share my own content?

One of the great things about the F1 space is the amount of creators that are out there, doing incredible work each and every day. I log onto social media all the time and am blown away by what people are creating, whether on TikTok, Threads, Instagram, YouTube, various podcasts, or all of the above.

If you have something you want to share with the community, feel free!

One of the questions I have gotten a lot in recent weeks, when explaining the Feed concept to friends and family members, is this: “Why are you doing this?”

Let’s take this in two ways, first the macro and then the micro.

On a larger, SB Nation level, this is a logical step in our shared idea of community. SB Nation began as a collection of fan-driven blogs, first from a few teams, and now into a massive site with nearly 200 team-specific communities.

This is a way to give every member, every fan, more of a voice in those communities.

But on a micro, F1-level, I’m hoping this becomes a place for fans to talk, share, and support each other. I know the idea of yet another place to login, to visit, might sound like too much, and I get that. But the idea is the same: A sense of community. As the internet itself feels more and more fractured — and perhaps even more and more fake — every day, some of us long for the bygone days of community.

If that also sounds like you, welcome aboard.

#join #conversation #Nation #Feed

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