Victoria rugby player earns second straight shot in India’s pro league
Published 1:00 pm Friday, May 1, 2026
The call came again, and so did the opportunity.
Liam Poulton is heading back to India.
The 23-year-old was selected in the ninth round of the Rugby Premier League (RPL) international draft by the Mumbai Dreamers.
“It’s a new team, new people, new group. I’m really excited,” Poulton told Victoria News.
The six-team league is played out of the Andheri Sports Complex in Mumbai, with all teams competing in a condensed schedule. This year features a one-week training camp followed by a 15-day sprint of matches, before playoffs transpire days later.
Most players re-enter the draft, with franchises only allowed to retain up to two players.
As a Category C player, Poulton will earn a salary of $3,500 USD for the month, with all flights, accommodations, and food fully covered.
“If a team was to ask me to come overseas and play and everything’s fully covered, that would be good enough for me,” the 2021 graduate of Esquimalt High said. “Getting paid on top of that is just almost an extra bonus.”
Poulton spent last season, the inaugural RPL campaign, with the Bengaluru Bravehearts, scoring five tries in 12 matches to finish in a tie for 16th in league scoring.
“At first I was kind of skeptical about going because it’s such a big change,” he said. “But when I got there, the team management and staff were very welcoming. Within a few days, we gelled like a family.”
He also gained a deeper appreciation for the league’s impact on domestic athletes.
“There’s this one kid that we had. He was 19, funny, funniest little kid, you know, doesn’t really come from much,” Poulton recalled. “But rugby gives him a bit of an opportunity to make some money, have a bit of a career, have a future with the sport.”
“That’s how I feel in a sense. This is an opportunity that I wouldn’t pass up.”
One moment stood out late in the season against the Kalinga Black Tigers.
Poulton broke down the sideline with Olympic sprinter and rugby sevens star Perry Baker chasing him down, a play that later drew more than 1.1 million views online.
“My dad was saying, man, I want to see you have a run against Perry Baker. That would be so cool,” Poulton said. “I was telling him, no, that’s not gonna happen. This guy’s too fast. He’s going to catch up to me. He called it.”
During the game, Baker caught Poulton just short of the try line.
“He got a hold of me maybe three metres from the try line and started to pull me out of bounds,” Poulton said. “I was kind of backwards, in the air, and I just put the ball down in the corner.”
Back home, Poulton split time this year with the Castaway Wanderers and Pacific Pride.
Beyond the pitch, he is exploring a potential career in law enforcement and recently connected with recruiters from the Victoria Police Department.
“They both kind of said, with my background in sports and teams, I’d make a good candidate,” Poulton said. “They were saying to enjoy the rugby as much as you can because it’s going to end sooner or later. Enjoy that high-level environment for as long as you can before you jump into it, because once you jump into it, it’s going to be a very big commitment.”
Taking that advice to heart, his perspective has shifted as he prepares for another trip overseas.
“I just want to go out there and enjoy it more this time,” he said. “Last year, I was so focused on performing. Now I want to take in the atmosphere.”
The Rugby Premier League season is set to begin June 16.
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