India’s U-18 Boys and Girls Finish Sixth at Asia Rugby Emirates U18 Sevens Championship 2026

Qingdao, China, September 6, 2026: India’s U-18 Boys and Girls both finished sixth at the Asia Rugby Emirates U18 Sevens 2026 following two days of competition in Qingdao, with the Boys matching their sixth-place finish from last year. Both teams faced strong opposition across the tournament as they competed against some of Asia’s leading U-18 sides.

The U-18 Girls began Day 2 with a commanding 41-0 victory over Sri Lanka in the 5th-8th place ranking match, securing a place in the 5th Place Playoff against UAE. Despite having defeated UAE in the group stage, India were beaten 33-7 in the playoff to finish sixth overall.

India had opened their Group D campaign with a 12-38 defeat to Malaysia before responding with a 29-12 victory over UAE. Needing a win against Hong Kong China to progress to the semi-finals, the Girls fought back from 12-0 down to level the match at 17-17, only for Hong Kong China to score in the final play and secure a 22-17 victory.

The U-18 Boys recorded their only win of the tournament on Day 2, defeating Chinese Taipei 24-10 in the 5th-8th place ranking match. The result put India into the 5th Place Playoff against Sri Lanka, whom they had also faced in the group stage. Sri Lanka once again came out on top, winning 34-7 as India finished sixth.

The Boys had begun their Group A campaign with a 7-34 defeat to Malaysia, followed by a 7-52 loss to Hong Kong China. Their final group-stage fixture against Sri Lanka ended in a 12-0 defeat, sending India into the 5th-8th place ranking matches on Day 2.

The tournament provided both Indian teams with valuable international exposure and further experience of competing against strong opposition from across Asia. The experience in Qingdao will form part of the continued development of the young players as they progress through the national pathway.