Rajgir, August 8, 2025: The Indian U20 Men’s and Women’s Rugby 7s teams are set to begin their campaigns tomorrow at the esteemed Asia Rugby Emirates U20 Championship 2025, hosted for the first time on Indian soil in Rajgir, Bihar. This prestigious tournament features sixteen elite teams from across Asia – eight men’s and eight women’s sides – providing a crucial platform for emerging rugby talent to compete at the continental level.
Under the guidance of Spanish Head Coach Paco Hernandez, the Indian U20 Men’s squad, drawn in Pool A, will open its campaign against the UAE at 9:25 am, followed by fixtures against Sri Lanka at 12:45 pm and Hong Kong China at 4:05 pm. The side is captained by Sumit Kumar Roy of West Bengal, with Karan Rajbhar serving as Vice-Captain. They will seek to leverage home advantage and strong crowd support to secure positive results from their pool matches.
The U20 Women’s team, coached by Kiano Fourie, led by Captain Bhumika Shukla from Rajasthan and Vice-Captain Tanushree Bhosale from Maharashtra, competes in Pool D alongside Kazakhstan, the UAE, and Hong Kong China. Their schedule is demanding, with an opening fixture against Kazakhstan at 11:55 am, followed by matches against the UAE at 3:15 pm and Hong Kong China at 6:35 pm to conclude the day’s play.
The championship will see a round-robin format on the opening day (August 9), and culminates in knockout stages (ranking + championship) that raises the competitive stakes on August 10th. Beyond the pursuit of the title, the tournament serves as an invaluable development opportunity for young players aspiring to advance to senior national squads and the international rugby arena.
Fans have the opportunity to attend the matches at the Rajgir Sports Complex for free and support the teams in person or follow the live broadcast via FanCode and the Asia Rugby YouTube Channel, as India’s promising U20 rugby stars strive for continental success on home ground.
Stay engaged for comprehensive coverage as Rajgir becomes Asia’s focal point for youth rugby excellence.