Rugby Premier League 2025 Play-offs Preview: Teams, Date, Time, Live Streaming Info

The league stage of the inaugural edition of the Rugby Premier League (RPL) concluded on Friday evening, at the Shahaji Raje Bhosale Kreeda Sankul (Andheri Sports Comlex). After nearly two weeks of high-octane rugby sevens action, the league is down to the business end with four teams making it through to the playoffs.

Hyderabad Heroes, Chennai Bulls, Bengaluru Bravehearts and Delhi Redz are the four franchises that have qualified for the playoffs. The two semifinals will take place on Saturday, with Chennai Bulls taking on the Bengaluru Bravehearts in the first match, while Hyderabad Heroes will be up against Delhi Redz.

Here, we look at the performance of four teams during the league stage:

Hyderabad Heroes

With former New Zealand captain DJ Forbes at the helm as head coach, Hyderabad Heroes have been the most dominant team across the GMR RPL this season. Manu Moreno’s leadership has been admirable as he’s led from the front, while the performance of Indian players like Javed Hussain and Sambit Pradhan have been made everyone sit up and take notice. With 9 nines, one loss and 34 points during the league stage, Hyderabad Heroes head into the playoffs as the favorites, especially after getting the better of their semi-final opponents Delhi Redz, against who they registered the double.

Chennai Bulls

Chennai Bulls were on a roll to start the season, laying down an early marker with their performances. The likes of Terry Kennedy, Joseva Talacolo and Va'aufauese Apelu-Maliko have been exceptional in terms of their international players, while likes of Aryan Dixit, Muhammad Jasim EP, and Shahnawaz Ahmed have all made their presence felt from the Indian contingent. Head coach Ben Gollings has been meticulous in his approach so far this season, as his team secured 6 wins, a draw and 3 losses during their group stage.

Bengaluru Bravehearts

With 5 wins, a draw and 4 losses in their group stage, it’s fair to say that the Bengaluru Bravehearts have had a rollercoaster season so far. Paco Hernandez has been calm and calculative in his approach as head coach, with his team already showing that they can go toe-to-toe with any side. In fact, Bengaluru Bravehearts are the only side in the tournament to have beaten Hyderabad Heroes so far. With the likes of Mohit Khatri, Akuila Rokolisoa, Scott Curry, Pol Pla and Philip Wokorach, they have enough experience in the side to rise to any challenge.

Delhi Redz

It has been an up and down campaign for Delhi Redz in the GMR RPL, as they search for consistency going into the playoffs. With 3 wins, 2 draws and 5 losses, head coach Tomasi Cama would be expecting his side to step up to the plate when the stakes are raised. Matias Osadczuk, Matteo Graziano, Patrick Odongo, Jordon Conroy have all contributed to a healthy team atmosphere, helping the likes of Rajdeep Saha, Deepak Punia, Sunil Chawan and other Indian players flourish.

Semi-finals (Head-to-head records):

Semi-Final 1: Chennai Bulls vs Bengaluru Bravehearts

The two sides faced each other twice in the league stage, with Bengaluru Bravehearts registering a commanding 26-0 victory in their first encounter. Chennai Bulls fought back in the reverse fixture, winning 31-24.

Semi-Final 2: Hyderabad Heroes vs Delhi Redz

Hyderabad Heroes got the better on both occasions when these two sides met in the league stage. The table-toppers secured a 40-19 win in the first match, while winning 31-7 in the reverse fixture.

Top five players to watch out for today:

• Vaafauese Maliko (Chennai Bulls)

• Javed Hussain (Hyderabad Heroes)

• Patrick Odongo (Delhi Redz)

• Akuila Rokolisoa (Bengaluru Bravehearts)

• Terry Kennedy (Chennai Bulls)

RPL match schedule on 28 June:

•⁠ ⁠Match 1 – Chennai Bulls vs Bengaluru Bravehearts – 7:45 pm

•⁠ ⁠Match 2 – Hyderabad Heroes vs Delhi Redz – 8:25 pm

Rugby Premier League Live Streaming

JioHotstar will live stream the Rugby Premier League 2025. The tournament will be broadcast on Star Sports Select 1 and Star Sports Select 1 HD TV channels.