India Men Clinch Silver, Women Shine With Grit At CASA Rugby 7s

India’s rugby teams produced an encouraging all round performance at the inaugural CASA (Central Asia and South Asia) Rugby 7s Championship in Tashkent , with the men’s team clinching a silver medal while the women’s side finished fourth after several spirited displays against strong opposition.

The tournament marked the beginning of India’s international rugby season and offered plenty of positives for both teams as they continue preparations for a demanding 2026 calendar .

The Indian men’s side looked dominant through most of the competition and stormed into the final with four impressive victories on the trot. The team opened its campaign with a confident 24-12 win over hosts Uzbekistan before overpowering Kyrgyzstan 31-0 . India then defeated Mongolia 26-14 and edged past Pakistan 20-14 in a tightly contested clash.

Their unbeaten run ended against a strong Sri Lankan outfit, who secured a 33-12 victory in the final round robin encounter. The two sides met again in the title clash where Sri Lanka once again proved superior, defeating India 31-10 . Despite the loss, the silver medal marked a promising start under newly appointed head coach Paul Albaladejo .

The women’s team, packed with several young and emerging players from the domestic circuit, showed remarkable fighting spirit throughout the event. After difficult opening losses against Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan , the Indian side bounced back strongly with a commanding 72-0 victory over Kyrgyzstan .

Confidence continued to grow as India comfortably defeated Mongolia 33-0 before producing one of the biggest moments of the tournament against eventual champions Sri Lanka . A dramatic last minute try from Mahak sealed a thrilling 22-19 victory and handed Sri Lanka their only defeat of the competition.

India narrowly missed out on a podium finish after going down 20-14 to hosts Uzbekistan in the third place playoff.

Mahak emerged as one of the stars of the tournament and was named the CASA 7s Women’s Player of the Tournament after scoring nine tries . For the men’s side, David Munda and Sumit Kumar Roy finished with four tries each, while Devendra Padir and Hitesh Dagar also made valuable contributions.

Rugby India president Rahul Bose praised the performances of both squads, saying the tournament provided valuable exposure and encouraging signs for the season ahead.