Mumbai, June 13 (UNI) Delhi Redz head coach and New Zealand rugby legend Tomasi Cama is soaking in every moment of his time in India as the inaugural GMR Rugby Premier League (RPL) season is set to get underway.
With a diverse roster of international athletes under his wing, Cama said the experience has been both enriching and demanding in the best possible way.
This is not his first experience in India, having previously visited the country when he was part of the All Blacks Sevens squad that won the gold medal at the 2010 Commonwealth Games in Delhi.
Named World Rugby Sevens Player of the Year and New Zealand Sevens Player of the Year in 2012, Cama brings an elite pedigree to the Delhi Redz setup.
The all-time leading points scorer for the All Blacks Sevens (and second in the list of Sevens World Series history for overall points), Cama is now part of a league that is expected to shape the next generation of rugby players in India.
Sharing his experience in the country so far, Cama light-heartedly said, “It’s been good. The weather’s awesome here, quite different from New Zealand. The hotel’s been great, and the
food’s been awesome. It’s a challenge not to overeat.”
According to Cama, the RPL’s franchise-based format is a unique experience with international teammates now lining up against each other.
Giving some insight into the diverse group of players in his squad, he said, “It’s a different mix. We’ve got Matteo Graziano from Argentina, Chino (Alejandro Laforga) from Spain, Duchy (Patrick Odongo) from Kenya, Jordan Conroy from Ireland, and a couple of boys from Germany and Hong Kong It’s just awesome how you can learn the game together."
“The management and players, all are great people. The operations managers have been awesome too, they've really helped bring everyone together,” he added.
He also shed some light on how his team has overcome the language barrier in their time spent together.
“The language barrier means we’ve had to simplify a lot of what we do to stay on the same page.
The best part is, now, we’re all from Delhi. No one is from somewhere else,” Cama explained.
On working with Indian players, Cama praised their grit and determination to make their mark.
“They’re coping well. Some marquee players have played at a higher level, so they bring in a lot of detail. That’s helped the Indian lads learn a few things, but the one thing you can’t teach is effort.”
Looking ahead, Cama believes the GMR RPL has immense long-term potential.
“It’s going to be awesome, but we’ve got to get this first one right. There will always be challenges, but that’s part of the parcel,” he concluded.
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