Chennai Bulls vice-captain Mohit Khatri says the Rugby Premier League (RPL) is reshaping Indian rugby from the ground up, giving domestic players access to world-class talent they would otherwise only watch on television. As the defending champions prepare to open their RPL Season 2 title defence on 17 June 2026, Khatri spoke about leadership, legacy, and what the tournament means for the sport in India.

RPL Season 2: What Has Changed

The Rugby Premier League — billed as the world's first franchise-based rugby sevens league — returns for its second edition on 16 June 2026. Launched in 2025 with six city-based franchises, the league has expanded this season with the addition of a women's competition featuring four teams. The format remains distinctive: matches are played across four quarters of four minutes each, a departure from the standard sevens structure of two seven-minute halves.

Chennai Bulls enter the new season as one of the favourites. Their squad is led by Argentinian international Santiago Alvarez, who captained Argentina at the Paris 2024 Olympics. Khatri, a former India captain and widely regarded as the face of Indian rugby, has been named vice-captain.

The 'Poster Boy' Tag: Visibility Without Burden

Often described as Indian rugby's poster boy, Khatri says the label carries weight but not pressure. 'Actually, it's good to be a poster boy. Many known and many unknown people know you and with that you get a responsibility as well. But I don't think that gives me an extra burden because I have my work and things to focus on and I try to keep my full focus there and try not to take that thing as a burden,' he said.

Khatri's proudest memories, he notes, are rooted not in international appearances but in state rugby — specifically, representing Haryana alongside four cousins at the senior nationals. 'That gives me quite good confidence,' he said, describing how winning and dominating across India with family members on the same team shaped his identity as a player.

Learning from the World's Best

Having captained both the Haryana state team and the Indian national team, Khatri now occupies a different kind of leadership role — one he views primarily as a learning opportunity. 'Till now I have captained my state team, my national team. So now I got an opportunity to play with almost top-level athletes of the world,' he said.

He pointed specifically to captain Santiago Alvarez and Argentina's recent dominance in rugby sevens. 'Argentina has been winning for the past two or three years. They have been the trophy champions. So it's like they are on the top of the world. So I got a chance to learn a few leadership skills and their game skills from this tournament,' Khatri added.

Notably, Chennai Bulls have already extended their ambitions beyond the RPL. During the 2025-26 season, the franchise became the first Indian representative side to compete in the Fiji Coral Coast 7s and the Hong Kong 10s — a signal of the club's intent to raise Indian rugby's global profile.

Roots at Delhi Hurricanes

Khatri credits Delhi Hurricanes — the club where he first picked up a rugby ball — with building the foundation for everything that followed. 'When I started, I had no idea about rugby, no rules, no regulations. Everything which I got from rugby is because of Delhi Hurricanes,' he said. He described returning to the club during off-seasons for local tournaments, calling it a return to his roots.

RPL's Role and What Comes Next

Khatri also acknowledged the role of Rugby India president Rahul Bose in securing greater sponsorship and exposure for the sport. 'Since Rahul Bose entered as president of Rugby India, more sponsors have been joining. The type and the era of rugby have changed,' he said. He credited the RPL with giving Indian players the chance to compete alongside Olympians — an opportunity, he said, that simply did not exist before.

On the fitness and tactical evolution the RPL has driven, Khatri was direct: 'From last year to this year, Indian boys have also stepped up. They have also made a strategy for how to play. From last year they set some standards. And now from this year, they will try to achieve more and more.' Chennai Bulls open their title defence against Delhi Redz at Gachibowli Stadium, Hyderabad, on Tuesday, 17 June 2026. For Khatri and Indian rugby, the second season is less a competition and more a continuation of a longer transformation.