Turner, Jobb shine as Mumbai Dreamers hit the ground running in 2026 RPL

After finishing last in the inaugural season of the Rugby Premier League in 2025, the Mumbai Dreamers have hit the ground running in 2026, securing back-to-back victories on their opening two days at Gachibowli Stadium in Hyderabad.

The inaugural season of the women’s competition has also seen a close affair, with Kolkata Banga Tigers the only team remaining undefeated in the opening two rounds.

Spearheaded by tries in their opening matches to Aussie 7s star James Turner and France’s Guillaume Bouche, and well supported by Blitzbok Sebastiaan Jobb and Lucas Mignot, the Dreamers have already bettered their 2025 record.

Hitting the ground running with a 21-14 win over Kolkata, the side backed it up with an impressive 19-7 win over Bengaluru Bravehearts, who included the likes of Blitzbok Shilton Van Wyk and Aussie captain Henry Hutchison in their ranks.

Defending champions the Delhi Redz are still sitting in the top four after defeating Chennai Bulls 31-21 in their opening game before going down to hosts Hyderabad in their second match, and are set for arguably a critical match in the broader season when they play Bengaluru tomorrow.

Among the international stars in the Redz include decorated Spanish captain Pol Pla, Pumas 7s star Luciano Gonzalez and returning Kenyan international Patrick Odongo.

Hyderabad remain a key side to watch as well, bouncing back from an opening round loss to the Bravehearts with a 31-17 win over the Redz, but face the biggest tests later in the competition when they face Kolkata and Mumbai in back-to-back fixtures.

They will have plenty of talent to call upon in those coming days, with All Blacks 7s Regan Ware, Aussie 7s veteran Maurice Longbottom, Spanish star Manu Moreno and Kenyan Kevin Wekesa already making a big impact.

In the women’s competition, the inaugural match of the four-team competition saw a 24-all draw between the Redz and the Chennai Bulls, with Canadian Savannah Bauder scoring a double for the Bulls before Fijian Lavena Cavuru and Blazebok skipper Zintle Mpupha orchestrated a fightback with two tries in the final quarter.

The tournament has stayed similarly tight, with only one match being decided by a margin of more than seven, with Kolkata Banga Tigers, spearheaded by a hattrick to USA star Nia Toliver and a double to Las Yaguaretés’ Sofia Gonzalez winning 31-19 over Mumbai.

The Dreamers have bounced back well in their second match courtesy of Abbie Brown, defeating the Delhi Reds 21-19 on day two, while the Tigers had to dig deep to keep their perfect start with a 33-26 win over the Chennai Bulls.

The women’s competition will see the four sides play each other twice, with a qualifying final between second and third to be followed by a grand final with first place on June 24th.

The men’s competition will follow a similar regular season format, with a four team semi-final, a third placed playoff and the final set to take place on June 29th.