Hyderabad Heroes, Chennai Bulls qualify for knock-out

The Hyderabad Heroes and Chennai Bulls have qualified for the knockout stages of the GMR Rugby Premier League. Both teams have been strong contenders, with the Heroes leading in several statistical categories

Hyderabad: The inaugural edition of the GMR Rugby Premier League, being held in Mumbai, has produced some top-notch, high-octane action. Leading the charge are the Hyderabad Heroes and the Chennai Bulls, both of whom have become the first teams to qualify for the knockout stages of the tournament.

The Hyderabad Heroes have been one of the best teams in the GMR RPL, winning six out of their seven games. They progressed to the semi-finals with a comprehensive win against the Chennai Bulls on Monday evening at the Shahaji Raje Bhosale Sports Complex (Andheri Sports Complex).

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Meanwhile, the Chennai Bulls, who have also been in good form throughout the GMR RPL, played 8 games before securing qualification for the semi-finals. The Bulls have won 5, drawn 1, and lost 2 of their games.

Interestingly, the Hyderabad Heroes also hold the record for the biggest win margin in the GMR RPL so far. The win in question came against the Bengaluru Bravehearts, with the Heroes winning 43-7. In fact, Hyderabad Heroes’ only defeat came in the reverse fixture against the Bengaluru Bravehearts, who won 26-21.

In contrast, the Chennai Bulls kicked off their campaign with two wins and a draw, before the Bengaluru Bravehearts came in with a solid performance. Unfortunately, the Bulls’ defeat to Bengaluru remains the only game in which a team failed to score. The Bravehearts won the game 26-0. However, in their next encounter against the Bravehearts, the Bulls exacted revenge, winning 31-24. The Bulls’ win against Delhi Redz was equally crucial, before they secured their playoff berth after a defeat to the Hyderabad Heroes.

The Hyderabad Heroes head into the business end of the league stage as the team leading most of the statistical parameters. At the end of their 7th game, the Heroes have scored the most tries (32), while the Bulls are second with 26. The Heroes have also scored the most points (202), while the Bulls have 164. The Chennai Bulls have registered the most tackles (147), while the Heroes are second with 112. The Heroes lead the tally for the most conversions, with 21 to their name, while the Bulls are third with 17.

The Chennai Bulls have two more games to play in the league phase. They will face the Hyderabad Heroes first and then the Kalinga Black Tigers, before the knockouts begin. On the other hand, the Hyderabad Heroes will take on the Bulls and then play the Delhi Redz twice to round off their league campaign in the GMR RPL.