Kolkata Banga Tigers (KBT) is the new HSBC Rugby Premier League franchise representing Bengal, founded in 2026 and based in Kolkata, India. KBT fields both men’s and women’s Rugby Sevens squads under one badge — ferocious in contest, gracious in character. The club is owned by Hunch Ventures and founded by Karanpal Singh.
Rugby in India dates to 1872, when the Calcutta Football Club became one of the oldest rugby clubs outside the British Isles. The Calcutta Cup, contested annually between England and Scotland in the Six Nations, was commissioned in 1878 from the melted-down silver rupees of the disbanded Calcutta club. The HSBC Rugby Premier League, India’s first professional franchise Rugby Sevens league, launched in 2025 and reached over 235 million in social media reach across its inaugural season.
HSBC Rugby Premier League Season 2 kicks off on 16 June 2026. Six franchises compete: Kolkata Banga Tigers (Bengal), Mumbai Dreamers, Delhi Redz, Hyderabad Heroes, Chennai Bulls, and Bengaluru Bravehearts. KBT joins as the newest franchise, representing the historic home of Indian rugby.