SVNS Series stars headline stacked Rugby Premier League squads

Vuiviwa Naduvalo and Shilton van Wyk headline a star-studded group set to play in the 2026 Rugby Premier League season, with some of the world’s biggest HSBC SVNS Series stars taking part in the competition from June 16 to 28.

Naduvalo and van Wyk shared the lead on the RugbyPass Men’s SVNS Series leaderboard after the regular season. Fiji and South Africa had been the two dominant forces during the first six stops of 2025/26, with the Blitzboks taking out the SVNS 1 crown.

The SVNS World Championships got underway in Hong Kong China last month, with the Blitzboks taking out their first title at the fan favourite event. In the women’s competition, the Black Ferns Sevens secured an unrivalled four-peat, beating Australia in the big dance.

Before the final two stops of the World Championship Series, GMR Sports and Rugby India held the Player Auction and Draft earlier this month, ahead of the second instalment of the Rugby Premier League in Hyderabad.

This saw women’s franchises take part for the first time, with former World Rugby Sevens Player of the Year nominee Reapi Ulunisau among those chosen. Abigail Brown from Great Britain and Argentina’s Sofia Gonzalez are other big-name inclusions in club rosters.

“The introduction of the women’s league is a landmark moment for the HSBC Rugby Premier League,” GM of GMR Sports, Sujoy Ganguly, said.

“Today’s draft reflects a strong commitment from franchises and GMR Sports to invest in and build competitive women’s teams, which is critical to driving long-term growth and creating meaningful pathways for athletes in Indian rugby.”

Chennai Bulls won the inaugural RPL title with a 41-0 win over Delhi Redz on June 29, 2025. Fiji’s Joseva Talacolo and Filipe Sauturaga have both been retained by the defending champions, with the squad featuring one of India’s highest-paid emerging prospects, Mohit Khatri.

Santiago Alvarez, Great Britain’s Sunni Jardine, Spain’s Tobias Sanz-Trapaga, Canada’s Ethan Turner, Taualai Panoa and Tusitafu Toilolo from Samoa, and Singapore’s Hidayat Jeffrydin are the other international players set to suit up for the Bulls.

All Blacks Sevens playmaker Akuila Rokolisoa will play alongside teammate Ngarohi McGarvery-Black for the Bengaluru Bravehearts. This roster is particularly impressive, with van Wyk and Australia’s Henry Hutchison included in the lineup.

Reigning World Rugby Player of the Year Luciano Gonzalez headline a strong Redz squad that also includes Patrick Odongo Okongo from Kenya and Spain skipper Pol Pla. Nine international players have been taken by Delhi, including Joseph Serres from Spain.

Australia’s Maurice Longbottom and New Zealand’s Regan Ware will play for Hyderabad Heroes, while Argentina’s Santiago Zangara and South Africa playmaker Tristan Leyds are among the nine international players in the Mumbai Dreamers side.

Kolkata Banga Tigers are the other men’s franchise, with Naduvalo joining New Zealand’s Brady Rush in a stacked squad. South Africa’s Ricardo Duarttee, and USA duo of Lucas Lcamap and Aaron Cummings have also been named.

Rugby Premier League squads

Chennai Bulls: Joseva Talacolo (FIJ, retained), Filipe Sauturaga (FIJ, retained), Santiago Alvarez (ARG), Sunni Jardine (GBR), Tobias Sanz-Trapaga (ESP), Ethan Turner (CAN), Taualai Panoa (SAM), Tusitafu Toilolo (SAM), Hidayat Jerffrydin (SGP), Mohit Khatri (HAR, 3.5L), Jugal Kishore Majhi (ODI, 1.25L), Karan Rajbhar (WB, 1.25L), Pranav Patil (MAH, 50k), Harpreet Singh Kamboj (PUN, 50k)

Bengaluru Bravehearts: Akuila Rokolisoa (NZL, retained), Philip Wokorach (UGA, retained), Henry Hutchison (AUS), Ngarohi McGarvey Black (NZL), Shilton Van Wyk (RSA), Ryan Apps (GBR), Denis Etwau (UGA), Motu Opetai (SAM), Michael Coverdale (HKG), Rajdeep Saha (WB, 1.25L), Devendra Raju Padir (MAH, 1.5L), Ganesh Dhangada Majhi (ODI, 90k), Akash Balmiki (WB, 50k), Arpan Chetri (WB, 1.25L)

Delhi Redz: Patrick Odongo Okongo (KEN, retained), Luciano Gonzalez (ARG), Pol Pla (ESP), Josep Serres (ESP), Nygel Pettersen Amaitsa (KEN), Elias Hancock (CAN), Samuel Mosirori Asati (KEN), Jon Okoth Okeyo (KEN), Lennox Wiese (GER), Vinay A (KAR, 50k), Javed Hussein (DEL, 2L), Hitesh Dagar (HAR, 1.25L), Deepak Kumar Punia (HAR, 2.75L), Shridhar Shrikant Nigade (MAH, 1L)

Hyderabad Heroes: Manuel Moreno Asensi (ESP, retained), Kevin Wekesa (KEN, retained), Maurice Longbottom (AUS), Regan Ware (NZL), Francisco Cosculluela (ESP), Diego Ardao (URU), Dante Sotonida (URU), Ravuama Seruvakula (SAM), Wolfram Hacker (GER), Shivam Shukla (DEL, 1.25L), Sumit Kumar Roy (WB, 3.75L), Muhammed Anes K (KER, 70k), Sambit Pradhan (ODI, 1L), Rajan Rawat (RAJ, 50k)

Mumbai Dreamers: Ben Lasiel (PNG, retained), James Turner (AUS), Santino Zangara (ARG), Lucas Mignot (FRA), Tristan Leyds (RSA), Guillaume Bouche (FRA), Nabo Sakoyi (RSA), Liam Poulton (CAN), Demetri Patterson (CAN), Sukumar Hembrom (WB, 1.25L), Prince Khatri (HAR, 2L), Asis Sabar (ODI, 50k), Vikas Khatri (HAR, 50k), Neeraj Khatri (HAR, retained)

Kolkata Banga Tigers: Vuiviwa Naduvalo (FIJ), Thibaud Mazzoleni (FRA), Brady Rush (NZL), Ricardo Duartee (RSA), Lucas Lacamp (USA), Aaron Cummings (USA), Adrian Kasito (UGA), Niue Owen (SAM), Shotaro Tsuoka (JPN), Ajay Deswal (HAR, 1.5L), Prashant Arvind Pratap Singh (MAH, 2.75L), Shanawaz Ahmed (ODI, 1.25L), Deshraj Rathore (RAJ, 90k), Sanjay Kisan (ODI, 50k)

Chennai Bulls Women: Ana Maria Naimasi (FIJ), Chantelle Miell (GBR), Carmen Izyk (CAN), Lara Wright (CAN), Liske Lategan (RSA), Sheilla Chajira (KEN), Tarulata Naik (ODI, 80k), Sandhyarani Tudu (ODI, 1.4L), Amandeep Kaur (PUN, 1.6L), Sandhya Rai (WB, 1.2L), Sapna Kumari (Bihar, 50k), Muskan Piploda (RAJ, 50k)

Delhi Redz Women: Camilla Carvalho (BRA), Isadora Lopes (BRA), Reapi Ulunisau (FIJ), Silika Qalo (FIJ), Eden Kilgour (CAN), Zintle Mpupha (RSA), Guriya Kumari (Bihar, 1.1L), Shikha Yadav (DEL, 2.4L), Vaishnavi Patel (MAH, 90k), Dumuni Marndi (ODI, 60k), Rima Oraon (WB, 50k), Saloni Kumari (Bihar, 50k)

Mumbai Dreamers Women: Yasmim Soares (BRA), Abigail Brown (GBR), Grace Okulu (KEN), Marienela Escalante (ARG), Carmen Miranda Miralles (ESP), Abril Camacho Ruiz (ESP), Arti Kumari (Bihar, 1.6L), Mama Naik (ODI, 50k), Hupi Majhi (ODI, 50k), Bhumika Shukla (RAJ, 2.2L), Lachmi Oraon (WB, 50k), Sunita Hansdah (ODI, 50k)

Kolkata Banga Tigers Women: Nia Toliver (USA), Shiniqwa Lamprecht (RSA), Vianca Boer (RSA), Ronja Hinterding (GER), Sarah Gossman (GER), Sofia Gonzalez (ARG), Gomti Thakur (DEL, 50k), Ujjwala Ghuge (MAH, 1L), Kalyani Patil (MAH, 90k), Nirmalya Rout (ODI, 1.6L), Kyra Bianca Vincent (MAH, 60k), Parbati Hansdah (ODI, 70k)