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Bihar Dethrone Maharashtra to Win 10th Sub-Junior Girls' Rugby Sevens Title

Bihar defeated defending champions Maharashtra 34-7 in the final to win the 10th Sub-Junior National Rugby Sevens Championship for Girls U15. Host state Odisha secured the bronze medal with a dominant 47-5 victory over Rajasthan in the third-place playoff. Sumi Gagarai of Odisha finished as the tournament's top scorer with 104 points. The event, featuring 24 teams, highlighted the growing talent pool in youth rugby, with attention now shifting to the upcoming Boys U15 championship.

Key Points: Bihar Wins National Girls' U15 Rugby; Odisha Takes Bronze

  • Bihar wins fifth title in six years
  • Odisha claims bronze on home turf
  • Sumi Gagarai of Odisha is top scorer
  • DNHDD and Chandigarh make top-eight debut
2 min read

Bihar defeat Maharashtra in final; Odisha clinch bronze at 10th Sub-Junior National Rugby Sevens Championship

Bihar defeats defending champs Maharashtra 34-7 in the final. Host Odisha claims bronze. Sumi Gagarai of Odisha is top tournament scorer.

"Bihar emerged victorious this time, pulling off a commanding 34-7 win, avenging their previous year's defeat - Official Release"

Bhubaneswar, January 17

The 10th Sub-Junior National Rugby Sevens Championship concluded at the Kalinga Stadium on Saturday with a thrilling final day of knockout action, showcasing India's top Under-15 girls' rugby talent.

Bihar edged past this edition's defending champions, Maharashtra, while host state Odisha claimed a convincing third-place victory in front of an enthusiastic home crowd, according to a release.

On day two of the competition, the knockout stages saw teams vie for ranking and top-ranked teams battle for a place in the semifinals. In the Quarterfinals, Bihar continued their dominant run with a 43-7 victory over Dadra & Nagar Haveli and Daman & Diu (DNHDD), while Odisha overpowered Karnataka 55-0.

Chandigarh fought valiantly but went down 7-17 to Rajasthan, and Maharashtra edged West Bengal 24-5, setting up a highly anticipated semifinal lineup. In the semifinals, Bihar maintained its momentum with a commanding 35-0 win over Rajasthan, while Maharashtra came from behind to defeat host state Odisha 17-14 in a nail-biting encounter that had the home crowd on the edge of their seats.

The Bronze Medal Playoff saw Odisha bounce back strongly, dominating Rajasthan 47-5 to claim third place on home turf, showcasing the depth of their squad and disciplined play. The final was a rematch of last year's title showdown.

Bihar and Maharashtra faced off once again, with Bihar emerging victorious this time, pulling off a commanding 34-7 win, avenging their previous year's defeat and claiming their fifth title win in the last six years in this category.

Over the course of the tournament, the 24 participating teams produced approximately 1,800 points with as many as 112 individual scorers, highlighting the growing talent pool at the U15 level.

Senior players from respective states also supported their teams as coaches and managers, guiding the young athletes and ensuring a professional, competitive environment. Another encouraging story of this tournament was the performances of DNHDD and Chandigarh, who finished in the top eight for the first time.

DNHDD defeated Karnataka 14-5 to finish fifth, while Chandigarh finished eighth. Sumi Gagarai of Odisha finished as the top scorer of the competition with 104 points, with Komal Kumari and Roshani Kumari of Bihar following suit with 66 and 56 points respectively.

With the Girls' U15 tournament concluded, attention now turns to the upcoming Boys U15 Championship, scheduled to be held on 20th and 21st January 2026, promising another two days of exciting youth rugby action.

- ANI

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Reader Comments

P
Priya S
So proud of our Odisha girls! Winning bronze at home is a huge achievement. Sumi Gagarai as top scorer with 104 points is phenomenal! Hope they get more support and facilities to grow further. Jai Jagannath! 🙏
R
Rohit P
Great to see smaller union territories like DNHDD and Chandigarh making it to top 8. This is how we build a national sporting culture - by giving every region a platform. More coverage for these events please!
S
Sarah B
As someone new to following rugby in India, I'm impressed! 1800 points from U15 girls is amazing. But I wish there was more live streaming or TV coverage. These athletes deserve a bigger audience.
V
Vikram M
Maharashtra put up a good fight as defending champs, but Bihar was just too strong this time. That 34-7 final score shows their preparation was top class. Congratulations to all the young players!
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Michael C
Respectful criticism: The article mentions "senior players as coaches" which is good, but are there enough qualified professional coaches? Investing in coaching education is as important as finding talent. Still, a wonderful event!

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