"We need to achieve something": Rugby India president Rahul Bose

Speaking to ANI, Bose said rugby was yet to enter the spotlight in India because the sport had not achieved a significant tournament victory.

Rugby isn't in the spotlight yet because we haven't achieved a major victory in a tournament. That is the reality; why talk about popularity when we haven't earned it? We need to achieve something. Until we demonstrate success at the global or Asian level, it is natural that people won't pay attention, Bose said during the jersey launch event for the Indian Womens Rugby Team ahead of the 2026 Asian Games in Japan.

India senior womens Rugby Sevens head coach Paul Delport, meanwhile, said the team was optimistic about its preparations and looking forward to competing against the best teams in Asia.

Very optimistic, very happy with the preparation, and we know that we are going into a very competitive Asian Games; we've put the work in. We understand what we want to get better at, what we want to improve on. We're really looking forward to testing ourselves against the best teams in Asia, Delport told ANI.

Captain Shikha Yadav highlighted the changes she has witnessed in Indian womens rugby during her career, particularly in terms of facilities, nutrition and financial support.

Ive been playing for India for 7 years, and Ive served as captain for 3 of those. Overall, Ive been playing rugby for 9 years... When I first started playing for India, we didn't have many facilities or access to proper nutrition. But since Rahul Bose sir came on board, and especially since 2022, weve received funding for training camps, Yadav said.

She also pointed to the Rugby Premier League (RPL) as an opportunity for players from less affluent backgrounds to view rugby as a career option.

Recently, the RPL (Rugby Premier League) took place, providing a vital opportunity for girls from less affluent backgrounds to see rugby as a viable career path. Many players on our team have secured jobs through both state and central governments. So, I believe rugby is growing, perhaps not at breakneck speed, but fast enough to be considered a genuine career option, she added.

Meanwhile, Rugby India has announced the Senior Womens Rugby Sevens Team that will represent India at the Aichi-Nagoya 2026 Asian Games, with the competition scheduled to take place from October 1-3 in Nagoya, Japan.

The 13-member squad will compete in the Womens Rugby Sevens competition at the Paloma Mizuho Rugby Stadium, with India drawn in Pool B alongside defending champions China, Hong Kong, China and Malaysia.

The Asian Games marks another important chapter in the journey of Indias Womens Rugby Sevens programme. India made its Asian Games debut in Womens Rugby Sevens at Guangzhou 2010 before missing the 2014 and 2018 editions. The team returned at Hangzhou 2022, where they finished seventh.

Indian Womens Rugby Sevens Squad: Shikha Yadav (C), Dumuni Marndi (VC), Amandeep Kaur, Arti Kumari, Bhumika Shukla, Vaishnavi Patil, Guriya Kumari, Kalyani Patil, Mama Naik, Nirmalya Rout, Sandhya Rai, Sandhyarani Tudu, Ujjwala Ghuge. (ANI)