Indian men win silver, women finish fourth at inaugural CASA Rugby 7s 2026
Tashkent, May 18
India's senior men's team secured the silver medal while the senior women's team finished fourth at the inaugural CASA Rugby 7s 2026 held here, marking a positive start to the international rugby season for Rugby India.
The men's team impressed throughout the tournament, winning four consecutive matches to book their place in the final. India opened their campaign with victories against hosts Uzbekistan (24-12), Kyrgyzstan (31-0), Mongolia (26-14), and Pakistan (20-14), remaining unbeaten until their final round-robin fixture against Sri Lanka (12-33), according to a press release from Rugby India.
The side once again faced Sri Lanka in the tournament final, eventually securing the silver medal after a 10-31 result in the title clash to conclude an encouraging campaign under newly appointed Head Coach Paul Albaladejo.
The senior women's team, featuring several young and emerging players identified through the domestic circuit and Senior Nationals, showed significant character across the competition despite a difficult start against Uzbekistan (7-22) and Kazakhstan (7-19) on Day 1.
The squad responded strongly with a dominant 72-0 victory over Kyrgyzstan before continuing their momentum on Day 2 with a 33-0 win against Mongolia.
One of the standout performances of the tournament came against eventual champions Sri Lanka, with the Indian Women's Team handing them their only defeat through a dramatic 22-19 victory secured by a last-minute try from Mahak.
India eventually concluded the tournament in fourth place following a closely fought 14-20 result against hosts Uzbekistan in the third-place playoff.
Reflecting on the tournament, Rugby India President Rahul Bose said, "CASA 7s has been an important start to the international season for both our Men's and Women's programs. The tournament provided valuable competition exposure, and there were several encouraging performances across both squads as we continue building towards the rest of the 2026 season."
Mahak was crowned the CASA 7s Women's Player of the Tournament after finishing as India's leading scorer with nine tries across the campaign. For the Men's Team, David Munda and Sumit Kumar Roy led the scoring charts with four tries each, while Devendra Padir and Hitesh Dagar added three tries apiece during the tournament. Captain Parbati Hansdah also contributed 12 conversions for the Women's Team.
Officially sanctioned by Asia Rugby and World Rugby, CASA (Central Asia and South Asia) 7s marked the inaugural edition of a new international Rugby Sevens competition for nations from Central and South Asia, featuring a round-robin plus classification format across the Men's and Women's categories.
— ANI
Reader Comments
Great effort overall! But I think we need to work on our defense in the final match against Sri Lanka. Conceding 31 points twice is a concern. The men's team showed real grit against Pakistan and Uzbekistan though. Positive signs under the new coach. 🇮🇳
As a former player, I'm thrilled to see this! The women's team showing character after a tough start - winning 72-0 and then beating Sri Lanka is incredible. Mahak is a star! But we need more grassroots support for rugby in India. This is just the beginning! 🌟
Honestly, I didn't even know India had a rugby team! Great to see them doing well. The men's unbeaten run until the final shows promise. But we need more tournaments like CASA 7s - regular international exposure is key. Also, appreciate Rahul Bose's involvement - he's been passionate about rugby.
The women's team finishing fourth but beating the champions Sri Lanka is such a mixed bag! 😅 That 22-19 win must have been thrilling. Mahak with nine tries - wow! But we need more consistency. Our men's team should have done better in the final. Still, proud moment for Indian sports beyond cricket.
Respect to both teams! Men's silver and women's fourth is commendable. But I'm concerned about the gap between our teams and Sri Lanka - they beat us twice in men's. We need to study their game. The 72-0 win for women shows we can dominate weaker teams, but consistency against top sides is needed
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