India, New Zealand Launch Rugby Coaching Programme To Mark Century Of Sporting Ties

Rugby India and New Zealand Rugby will jointly organise a two-day high-performance coaching programme at the Kalinga Stadium in Bhubaneswar from Thursday, marking 100 years of sporting ties between India and New Zealand .

The initiative, part of a Memorandum of Cooperation between the two federations, is aimed at strengthening coaching education, technical expertise, and long-term development pathways in Indian rugby. Coaches from across India have been selected for participation and grouped into Foundation, Development, and High-Performance categories to ensure structured learning across different levels.

According to an official statement, the programme will include a combination of classroom sessions, on-field practical demonstrations, and interactive workshops . These sessions will be delivered by expert educators from New Zealand Rugby, focusing on modern coaching methodologies, performance analysis, and structured player development systems.

Union Sports Minister Mansukh Mandaviya said the collaboration reflects a shared commitment to capacity building and knowledge exchange in sport . He noted that as India and New Zealand mark a century of sporting cooperation in 2026, such partnerships carry added significance in strengthening grassroots and elite sport systems.

New Zealand’s Minister for Sport and Recreation Mark Mitchell said programmes like this demonstrate the value of the sports cooperation agreement between the two countries , and help deepen engagement in sports development initiatives.

Rahul Bose, who heads Rugby India, said the programme will play a crucial role in enhancing the country’s technical coaching standards . He added that the collaboration not only strengthens India’s rugby ecosystem but also reinforces the long-standing sporting relationship between the two nations.

Officials stated that the initiative is expected to improve India’s coaching pipeline, enhance grassroots development , and align domestic training practices with global best practices, particularly those followed by New Zealand, one of the world’s leading rugby nations.

The programme is seen as a significant milestone in bilateral sports cooperation, as both countries celebrate a century of sporting engagement and look to expand collaboration in rugby development and high-performance training systems in the years ahead.