Rugby Premier League 2026: Alvarez to captain defending champions Chennai Bulls
Argentinian powerhouse, Santiago Alvarez, has been named Captain for the defending champions, Chennai Bulls, in the Rugby Premier League. He will lead the men's team, with Indian superstar Mohit Khatri appointed as the Vice Captain. Chennai Bulls begin their title defence on the 16th of June against Delhi Redz at the Gachibowli Stadium, Hyderabad, according to a press release.
The Chennai Bulls' women's team will be led by Chantelle Miell, along with Savannah Bauder as vice-captain, in the inaugural season of the women's league. They will begin their campaign against Delhi Redz in the first-ever match for the women of the RPL on the 16th of June.
"Leading the Chennai Bulls this season is a matter of pride, and I'm hoping we can defend our title from Season 1. Leading a side as diverse as the Bulls is an exciting challenge, and I'm happy to have Mohit Khatri by my side as vice-captain. The Chennai Bulls have always stood for high standards on the field, and that's something we'll strive for in every game. Big ups to AVID Sports and our other partners for backing the team, and most importantly, it's an honour to play under the legendary Ben Gollings as we go for glory once again at RPL 2026," said Santiago Alvarez.
"Chennai Bulls have grown from strength to strength in the last year, and I am very happy to be part of the squad. Being chosen as Vice-Captain is just a testament to the faith that the franchise has shown in me, and I look forward to playing alongside these legends of the game," said Mohit Khatri, Vice-Captain, Chennai Bulls.
"The introduction of the women's squads in the Rugby Premier League is a huge step forward for rugby sevens. Kudos to Chennai Bulls for making sure they are part of the women's rugby movement as well and for being one of the few franchises to have teams in both the men's and women's leagues. Chennai have set very high standards, and we are confident of carrying that legacy forward in the RPL. Being named captain of this squad is very special, and I look forward to working alongside Coach Amy Turner to shape this team into the best version of itself on the field," said Chantelle Miell, Captain, Chennai Bulls.
"Extremely excited for the upcoming RPL season, and being chosen as vice-captain for the Chennai Bulls is special. Our squad consists of some of the biggest names from both international rugby and the Indian rugby ecosystem. We cannot wait to get our campaign started," said Savannah Bauder, Vice-Captain, Chennai Bulls.
The leadership unit for the Chennai Bulls is seasoned leaders with years of experience in captaining national, state and franchise teams. Santiago Alvarez captained the Argentinian team in the Paris 2024 Olympics, while Mohit Khatri has captained India for a number of years on the international stage.
Chantelle Miell has captained Great Britain on the World Rugby SVNS series. The choice of captains makes a strong statement to the rest of the teams competing at the Rugby Premier League and cements the fact that the Chennai Bulls are very serious about their title defence, along with aspiring for the inaugural championship on the women's side.
The 2025-26 season was a historic one for the Chennai Bulls and Indian rugby. The franchise became the first Indian representative side to participate in the Fiji Coral Coast 7s and the iconic Hong Kong 10s, underlining its commitment to building not only the Chennai Bulls franchise but also the sport of rugby in India and on the global stage.
Owned by AVID Sports and supported by AVID Health, Remsafe and Priority Pass, the Chennai Bulls have an extremely strong line-up with the biggest names in international rugby and strong Indian representation. The Men's squad includes Kaminieli Rasaku, Ratu Filipe Sauturaga, Santiago Alvarez, Ratu Marika Koroibeti, Michael Icely, Taualai Panoa, Tusitafu Toilolo, Marcus Kershaw, Hidayat Jeffrydin, Mohit Khatri, Harpreet Singh Kamboj, Pranav Patil, Jugal Majhi, and Karan Rajbhar. The team will be coached by Ben Gollings.
The women's complete squad is Adia Pye, Carmen Izyk, Larah Wright, Savannah Bauder, Chantelle Miell, Sheilla Chajira, Sandhyarani Tudu, Amandeep Kaur, Sandhya Rai, Muskan Piploda, Sapna Kumari, Priyanka R. The team will be coached by Amy Turner. (ANI)
