India’s U20 Women’s rugby team, spurred on by a supportive home crowd, made a triumphant return to the Asia Rugby Emirates Rugby 7s U20 Championship, securing a spot in the semi-finals. The U20 Men’s team also made their mark, achieving their first-ever victory against the UAE at this level of competition. The women’s team, guided by coach Kiano Fourie and captained by Bhumika Shukla, began their campaign with a hard-fought 17-10 win against Kazakhstan. Guriya Kumari, Anshu Kumari, and Alpana Kumari all contributed tries to give the hosts a strong start. Their momentum continued in the afternoon with a dominant 31-7 victory over UAE. Bhumika led the way with two tries, while Tanushree Bhosale, Muskan Piploda, and Anshu each added to the score. This result guaranteed a semi-final position before their final pool match against Hong Kong China. In the men’s competition, coached by Paco Hernandez, the team celebrated a historic 24-17 win over UAE, marking India’s first victory against them at the U20 level and their first score in five encounters across the U18 and U20 categories. Charan Hembram, Goldan Kumar, and David Munda contributed tries, with David’s late score sealing the win despite a spirited fightback from UAE. Despite a valiant effort, the men’s team couldn’t maintain their winning streak, losing to both Sri Lanka and Hong Kong China. Sri Lanka and Hong Kong China topped Pool A, while China and Malaysia led Pool B. India’s U20 Women will compete in the semi-finals, while the men’s team will aim to conclude their campaign positively against Kazakhstan in the race to finish fifth.
