All Blacks legend Derek Forbes backs Hyderabad Heroes in GMR Rugby League

New Zealand’s Derek DJ Forbes, a former All Blacks Sevens captain, is mentoring Hyderabad Heroes in the GMR Rugby Premier League and believes India’s rugby potential is growing rapidly with strong passion and effort

Hyderabad: New Zealand rugby great Derek DJ Forbes is now mentoring Hyderabad Heroes in the inaugural, ongoing GMR Rugby Premier League in Mumbai, guiding the team into the knock-out phase with a touch of class.

In an exclusive chat with Telangana Today, the 42-year-old Forbes shared his thoughts on the league.

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“The league has been good, and so are the results for my team. Can’t complain, can’t really ask for too much more from the boys,” said the former captain of the All Blacks Sevens.

“In terms of effort and execution, it’s been really good to see the boys playing well. They’ve been happy with how things have gone, and fortunately, they are a great bunch of men doing magic on the field,” the New Zealander said.

On whether he ever imagined coaching in India, Forbes admitted he had thought it could be possible given the talk in rugby circles around the world while playing in different leagues.

“But to finally be here and coaching is a real privilege. I’m grateful, and it’s a great way for me to give back to the game and help grow it globally. I’m really happy for India,” Forbes said.

“We’ve got a lot of passionate people here. The whole team is really trying their best to make it happen. It’s only going to get bigger and better, and I’m sure other countries will follow suit,” he explained. “I think the standard of the league is really high.”

“Just the experience—rubbing shoulders with the world’s best and seeing how they operate—should help the Indian players. It gives them belief that they can compete at this level,” he added.

“For me personally, it’s about growing my coaching pedigree. I had a pretty good run, to be fair. Now I’m working on how I want to coach and lead a team.”

“I’m trying different things. I’ve got the luxury of some key leaders who work really well together. And I’m also working closely with the management team. So, it’s exciting that we’ve achieved so much in so little time.”

“I think they can take the game across different states. That would be awesome. If rugby started being played in each province—how cool would that be? Similar to how it is in IPL cricket,” Forbes said.