Mumbai, India – 9 October 2026: As part of the 100 years of sports cooperation between India & New Zealand, in a historic first New Zealand U20 Boys & Girls team will be visiting India from 22nd to 28th October 2026 to play a Rugby Series with Indian U20 teams at the Rajgir Sports Complex, Rajgir Bihar.
As part of the 100 years of sports cooperation between India & New Zealand, in a historic first, the U20 Men’s and Women’s teams from New Zealand will be visiting India from 22nd to 28th October 2026 to play a Rugby Series with Indian U20 teams at the Rajgir Sports Complex, Rajgir, Bihar.
The visiting squads – Tama Toa, the men’s team, and Hine Toa, the women’s team – comprise 24 young Māori players selected from across New Zealand and will be supported by a six-member management group. The tour will provide the players with an opportunity to train, compete and exchange knowledge and cultures with their Indian counterparts.
The programme will include joint training sessions, squad-based match activities and cultural and community engagements alongside the Indian U20 squads.
The tour will culminate on 27 October, with four competitive Sevens matches. The programme will feature a men’s match between India and New Zealand, followed by the women’s match and two mixed matches bringing players from both teams together.
Speaking on the significance of the tour, Mr. Rahul Bose, President, Indian Rugby Football Union, said: “100 years ago, New Zealand and India created history, establishing sporting ties between the two nations. Today, 100 years later, history will be created again with the first-ever New Zealand rugby team to visit Indian shores. For our young players, the opportunity to compete against New Zealand opposition on home soil will provide valuable exposure to the best practices in international rugby and provide impetus to their development. Training together, playing matches against each other and then (the highlight for me) playing two more matches as mixed teams (IND – NZ). What better testament to the power of sport in making nations stand shoulder to shoulder.”
Sport NZ Programme Director, 100 Years of Unity through Sport Jamie Tout said, “This is exactly what 100 Years of Unity through Sport is about – bringing New Zealand and India closer together through sport, culture and shared experiences. To see these young Māori athletes become the first New Zealand rugby team to tour India is incredibly special. They’ll arrive as opponents, but also come together as teammates. It is a powerful expression of unity through sport and a legacy we hope will endure well beyond 2026.”
Ms. Manu Albert, Head of the New Zealand Rugby delegation and Injury Prevention Wellbeing Programme Manager, added, “We’re looking forward to celebrating 100 years of sport uniting our two countries, helping Rugby India grow Sevens, and sharing our rugby knowledge, but equally to sharing our cultures and developing a lasting relationship through sport. There will no doubt be a competitive edge when the respective teams meet on the field, and we’re looking forward to playing a part in developing India’s young rugby players and coaches.”
The tour builds on the growing rugby relationship between India and New Zealand. Earlier in the year Rugby India hosted New Zealand Rugby coaches in Bhubaneswar in May 2026 for coaching workshops with 35 Indian coaches at Odisha’s Kalinga Stadium.
The U20 exchange takes that collaboration into a new phase, providing young players from both countries with an opportunity to train, compete and experience each other’s rugby environments and cultures. It also creates a platform for continued knowledge exchange and relationship-building between the two rugby communities.