Seven Fijian players have signed up for the Rugby Premier League, which is the world’s first franchise-based sevens competition in India. According to The Roar, the players who have signed are Joseva Talacolo, Ioane Teba, Jioji Nasova, Terio Tamani, Filipe Sauturaga, Waisea Nacuqu and Akuila Rokolisoa of the All Blacks Sevens. Also signing is All Blacks Sevens coach Tomasi Cama Jnr. Questions emailed to Fiji Rugby Union (FRU) chief executive officer Rovereto Nayacalevu yesterday remained unanswered when this edition went to press last night. The players along with the other top players and coaches around the world are going to join one of the following franchises- Bengaluru Bravehearts, Chennai Bulls, Delhi Redz, Hyderabad Heroes, Kalinga Black Tigers and the Mumbai Dreamers. The competition is backed by World Rugby and Indian broadcasters in prime time by Star Sports and JioHotstar, six franchises from as many cities across India will play 34 rugby sevens games over 15 days from June 1. The players will initially be paid A$24,000 (FJ$33,600) for a month’s work of training and playing. Each franchise will have a 13- man squad, made up of five marquee players from tier-one nations, three bridge players (Germany, Canada and Hong Kong) and five local Indians. World-known sevens coaches,including gold medal-winning Australian coach Tim Walsh, Mike Friday, Ben Gollings, DJ Forbes, Cama and Paco Hernandez will lead the six franchises. The concept has been in the pipeline for six years and was concocted in an attempt to supercharge rugby in India, with the men currently ranked 86th on World Rugby’s rankings and the women 52. “It seems like a league like this would be conceived because you want the glamour, the position and the profile to be a union that punches above its weight. Incorrect,” former Indian halfback and Bollywood star Rahul Bose, who is also the president of Rugby India, told reporters in Hong Kong recently. “The league first came to our mind because we were thinking, what is that silver bullet that’s going to catapult Indian rugby at a speed faster than normal federations do to grow their sport? “And we realised that a league, and it already has started to do, we have sixowners who are looking now for more Indian talent, who are going to be pouring money and resources into their regions in the country, whether it’s Mumbai or Chennai or Hyderabad or Delhi, pouring resources in there to say we need coaching talent, we need players, we need more physios.” He said of the 760 districts in India, which on average has 2,000,000 people, rugby is played in 322 districts. Recent census data said there were between 100-120,000 registered rugby players in India. World Rugby chairman Brett Robinson said the RPL was exactly the type of innovation that could help the game grow. Bose said he hoped the nation, whose only team representation at the Olympics is in hockey, could see them crack the Brisbane Olympics in 2032. “Let’s not jump the gun,” Bose said. “For India to make the Olympics, we have to be in the top two nations in the world, in Asia. What’s the reality? Our women are ranked 10th in Asia right now and our men are ranked 15th. “If you move up one place, which is a lot in a team sport in a year, you’re looking at 2032. “We will still be only the second team in India in last 80 years history to make the Olympics after hockey.” Feedback: leonec@fijisun.com.fj