Heroes captain Moreno says RPL is like a marathon

At 26, Manuel Moreno, captain of Hyderabad Heroes, reflects on the unique challenges of the inaugural GMR Rugby Premier League in Mumbai, highlighting the long tournament format and player development in India

Hyderabad: At 26, Manuel Moreno stands tall, literally, and is now determined to script memorable moments by leading Hyderabad Heroes in the inaugural, ongoing GMR Rugby Premier League in Mumbai.

Moreno, who began playing rugby union for Ciencias Sevilla CR in Seville and was subsequently called up to join the Spanish national rugby sevens team in the summer of 2020, says he is pleasantly surprised by the standard of the game in India and that he never expected it to be this popular either.

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In an exclusive chat with Telangana Today, Moreno, who was chosen among the 14 best rugby sevens players at the World Rugby Sevens Series, said that the Indian players were definitely learning how to coordinate with the big players, especially with most of them being from the UK.

“Obviously, the Indian players are too friendly, and we are creating a big community, with the biggest challenge being to play a long league like this,” Moreno said.

“This is like a marathon for us and is quite different from the regular shorter formats we normally play. It is clearly testing the physical and mental aspects of all the players,” he added.

The biggest positive is probably learning to play in a really long tournament.

“Definitely, we’re playing too many games in a row in a short time. So, I think we must change it for next year’s edition and try to keep improving the standard,” Moreno said, who has already guided the Heroes to the knockout phase.

On the format of four quarters of four minutes each, Moreno said that he was happy with it and that it seemed to be entertaining for the fans too.

“I think the governments here should capitalize on the craze for rugby by taking the sport to different parts of the country. The kids should know more about the sport,” he said.

“I think the biggest difference between foreign and Indian players is that the former are physically stronger. But India definitely has great potential and has to be groomed in the right manner, with an emphasis on fitness,” he signed off.