Hyderabad, July 11, 2026: Bihar successfully defended their Boys’ title, defeating Maharashtra 38-5 to be crowned champions of the 11th Junior National Rugby 7s Championship at the GMC Balayogi Athletic Stadium, Hyderabad.
The defending champions produced a clinical performance in the championship decider, showcasing their attacking flair and defensive discipline to overcome Maharashtra and retain the Boys’ crown.
Bihar built momentum throughout the contest through tries from Shubham Kumar, Rohit Kumar, Pawan Raj and Sunny Kumar, while Ayush Raj and Rahul Verma added crucial conversions to complete a dominant 38-5 victory. Maharashtra’s only points came through Tandle Aditya Rushikant.
For Maharashtra, it marked another impressive campaign as they reached the finals of both the Girls’ and Boys’ Championships, finishing runners-up on both occasions after falling to Odisha in the girls’ final and Bihar in the boys’ final.
Odisha claimed third place with a convincing 33-5 victory over Delhi, ensuring that the podium featured the same three teams as the Girls’ Championship – Bihar, Maharashtra and Odisha.
The semi-finals produced contrasting contests. Maharashtra delivered a dominant 19-0 victory over Delhi to become the first team to book their place in the final. The second semi-final provided one of the standout moments of the championship as Odisha raced into a 7-0 lead before Bihar mounted a remarkable comeback, scoring 12 unanswered points to seal a thrilling 12-7 victory and secure their place in the final.
Punjab also enjoyed a breakthrough campaign, improving significantly on last year’s performance to finish sixth, climbing five places after placing 11th in the previous edition.
The championship highlighted the continued growth of age-group rugby in India, with 2,122 points scored across the competition. Odisha finished as the tournament’s highest-scoring team with 244 points, followed by Bihar with 237. Defensively, Bihar were outstanding throughout the tournament, conceding just 12 points, the fewest of any team.
Ajit Nag of Jharkhand finished as the tournament’s overall top scorer with 76 points (10 tries, 13 conversions). Odisha’s Rahul Majhi recorded the most conversions with 21, while teammate Mantu Tudu finished as the tournament’s leading try scorer with 11 tries.
The 11th Junior National Rugby 7s Championship once again showcased India’s emerging rugby talent, bringing together more than 600 players from across the country and reinforcing Rugby India’s commitment to developing the next generation of national team players.
With the conclusion of the Boys’ Championship, the 11th Junior National Rugby 7s Championship comes to a close, marking another successful chapter in the continued growth of rugby in India.
Results Summary
Final
Bihar 38-5 Maharashtra
For Bihar:
- Ayush Raj – 2
- Shubham Kumar – 10
- Rohit Kumar – 5
- Pawan Raj – 5
- Ayush Raj – 4
- Shubham Kumar – 5
- Sunny Kumar – 5
- Rahul Verma – 2
For Maharashtra:
- Tandle Aditya Rushikant – 5
Third Place Playoff
Odisha 33-5 Delhi