RCB announces framework for ‘RCB CARES’, focused on fan safety and community development

BENGALURU: Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) on Monday outlined the framework of RCB Cares, its long-term commitment to fans. The programme focuses on supporting, empowering, and elevating the 12th Man Army through meaningful actions.

Last Saturday, the Bengaluru-based franchise announced a financial aid of Rs 25 lakh each to the families of the victims who tragically lost their lives in the stampede outside the M Chinnaswamy Stadium during the team’s victory celebrations on June 4.

𝗥𝗖𝗕 𝗖𝗮𝗿𝗲𝘀: 𝗔 𝗟𝗼𝗻𝗴-𝗧𝗲𝗿𝗺 𝗖𝗼𝗺𝗺𝗶𝘁𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝘁𝗼 𝗢𝘂𝗿 𝟭𝟮𝘁𝗵 𝗠𝗮𝗻 𝗔𝗿𝗺𝘆

RCB Cares is our long-term commitment to support, empower and elevate our 12th Man Army, through meaningful action.

Provide support that goes beyond financial aid
Build safe… pic.twitter.com/ceNbzPk0dz

— Royal Challengers Bengaluru (@RCBTweets) September 1, 2025

The incident, which claimed eleven lives, left the entire cricketing fraternity and RCB fans across the country in shock. Taking to their official Instagram handle, the franchise expressed grief over the loss and assured continuous support to the bereaved families under their new initiative, ‘RCB CARES’.

Over the coming months, post necessary permissions, RCB Cares will go beyond the boundary to provide support that goes beyond financial aid and will ensure fast, transparent, and human support to fans and families impacted.

RCB Cares will build safe and inclusive environments which will work with the stadium authorities, sporting bodies, and league partners to design better crowd management protocols. This will also empower communities with real opportunities and social development programmes that kicked off in rural Karnataka, starting with the Siddi community, a statement said.

RCB CARES will invest in independent research on crowd safety and create a fan-safety audit framework and train our on-ground partners annually on crowd management and emergency response. This programme will also elevate fan memory into something permanent. A dedicated space in Bengaluru to honour the names, stories, and spirit of RCB’s most passionate fans, the statement said.

It will lastly try to build futures through sport belief in the tea,m which shouldn’t just live in the stands. It will also try to create in-stadia jobs, nurture local talent, and support the next generation of professionals in sport. RCB Cares goes beyond a single event, which will promise to every fan who has stood by the team through every roar and heartbreak, the statement said.

On June 4, 11 people died and over 50 were injured in a stampede outside Bengaluru’s M Chinnaswamy stadium as a massive crowd of nearly 3 lakh people had gathered to witness the victory celebration of Royal Challengers Bengaluru, celebrating their maiden Indian Premier League (IPL) trophy win. (ANI)