Rugby Premier League: Hong Kong star backs franchise model to power rugby sevens
Michael Coverdale is returning from Indian event with new ideas, including format tweaks, says tournament unanimously popular with players
After playing a significant role in the inaugural Rugby Premier League in India, Michael Coverdale has hailed franchise tournaments as “the way forward” for the troubled sevens format.
World Rugby has consistently meddled with international sevens, most recently chopping the number of elite series teams from 12 to eight for next season.
As some countries axe or reduce their full-time programmes, RPL provided a two-week platform for some of the planet’s best players to perform and earn. The competition was inspired by cricket’s Indian Premier League, which has spawned multiple T20 franchise tournaments around the world.
Hong Kong’s Coverdale, whose Delhi Redz team lost Sunday’s final to Chennai Bulls, said: “I can see this as the way forward, and it being very beneficial for sevens, with another franchise league in the off-season, or around the World Series.
“The feedback from every player has been positive: everyone has been making friends and learning from each other.”
As finalists, Delhi played 12 16-minute matches in 14 days. “The format is pretty brutal – towards the end of the tournament I was hanging on and struggling with fatigue,” Coverdale said.