‘Play together or get hurt’: Rahul Bose on rugby’s unyielding lesson in unity

Guwahati, April 29: At 57, Rahul Bose could easily outpace someone half his age — not just with his energy, but with his passion.

Actor, producer, activist, former India rugby international — Rahul wears many hats, but at the heart of it all, he breathes rugby.

Inside Guwahati’s Indira Gandhi Athletic Stadium at Lokhara, where the Senior National Rugby 7s Championship concluded on Monday, Rahul moved around in a t-shirt and shorts, as busy and invested as the youngest volunteer.

When approached, he cheerfully agreed to a 15-minute conversation with The Assam Tribune.

“Rugby taught me lessons even my parents didn’t,” he said, flashing a warm smile. “You can’t play rugby alone. If you try, you’ll end up in a hospital. You must play with others. In life, too, if you want to go far, you must take people with you. That’s a life lesson,” he added.

Another cherished lesson - always be ready to pick someone up. “In rugby, when you fall, someone is always there to pick you up. That’s something we must carry outside the field, too — be ready to bend down and offer a hand,” he said.

Rahul’s journey with rugby began long before it became part of his public persona. While building a successful career in cinema with critically acclaimed films such as Mr and Mrs Iyer and Chameli, he also captained India’s national rugby team.

Rahul Bose at Indira Gandhi Athletic Stadium at Lokhara. (AT Photo)

His passion for the sport — often referred to as "the game played in heaven" — never waned even as he conquered parallel worlds of acting, activism, and writing.

Today, as the president of the Indian Rugby Football Union (IRFU), he is determined to script Indian rugby’s next big chapter — Olympic qualification.

“The idea is to move up eight places in Asia in the next 7 to 11 years. If we do that, rugby could become only the second team sport after hockey to qualify for the Olympics,” he said.

At present, Indian women's rugby ranks 10th and the men 15th out of 36 nations in Asia. “The quality today is way above what it was when I retired (in 2009),” Rahul said proudly.

The path ahead, though, is competitive. Rugby 7s, the version played at the Olympics, is akin to cricket's T20 — fast, furious, and thrilling. Rahul hopes the upcoming Rugby Premier League (June 1–15 in Mumbai) will energise the sport further.

With six teams playing daily matches in a made-for-television and OTT format, he envisions the league becoming rugby’s IPL moment.

“If people from the Northeast start watching the Rugby Premier League, it could spark resurgence. Football is hugely popular here, but we believe rugby can find its footing too,” he said.

Although states like Assam and Manipur are beginning to make their presence felt, Rahul acknowledged there’s much ground to cover.

“We haven’t yet penetrated Mizoram, Nagaland, Tripura or Sikkim. But whenever a state reaches out — for coaches, referees, or developmental support — we are ready,” he said.

The recent improvement in Assam’s women's team is one small but significant sign. “They moved from 18th to 13th in the national championships in a year. It’s a positive step,” he said.

Rahul also takes inspiration from cricket’s massive success. “The IPL showed us that a well-run league with strong media support can create heroes from places you never heard of,” he pointed out.

“Rugby is played in 322 out of 760 districts in India — but because we aren’t on mass media yet, nobody knows,” he added.

From muddy fields to the international arena, Rahul has lived rugby in a way few others have. Now, he dreams of a day when the Indian tricolour will flutter proudly on a rugby pitch at the Olympics — and for him, every scrum, every sprint, and every setback is a step closer to that vision.

“Umeed pe duniya kaayam hai,” he concludes with a glint of hope.