Top Row: Rajan Rawat, Bharat Kisan, Deshraj Singh, Rohit Shaw, David Munda, Ajit Nag, Shivam, Goldan Kumar,
Bottom Row: Sagar Prakash, Karan Rajbhar (VC), Paco Hernandez (Head Coach), Sumit Kumar Roy (C), Charan Hembram
Mumbai, August 3, 2025: The Indian Rugby Football Union today announced the national U20 Men’s and Women’s squads for the Asia Rugby Emirates U20 Rugby 7s Championship 2025, scheduled to take place on August 9-10 in Rajgir, Bihar. The teams were selected following a national coaching camp that commenced on July 3 at the Sports Authority of India’s Netaji Subhas Eastern Centre in Kolkata.
The tournament will witness both Indian squads competing on home soil against some of Asia’s strongest rugby nations. In the Men’s category, participating teams include India, China, UAE, Hong Kong China, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Sri Lanka, and Malaysia. In the Women’s category, Nepal replaces Malaysia in the line-up.
Speaking on the selection of the final 12-member squad, Rahul Bose, President of the Indian Rugby Football Union said, “The Asia Rugby U20 7s Championship is a tournament where a player’s international future starts taking shape. We especially look forward to seeing this year, both our men’s and women’s teams competing side by side on home soil. My heartfelt congratulations to every player selected-may this be the beginning of something truly special for you, and for the sport.”
Top row: Muskan Piploda, Aarti Kumari, Alpana Kumari, Ritu Majhi, Anshu Kumari, Kyra Vincent, Akshaya NS, Mamali Singh,
Bottom Row: Guriya Kumari, Tanushree Bhosale (VC), Kiano Fourie (Head Coach), Bhumika Shukla (C), Mahak
West Bengal’s Sumit Kumar Roy has been named Captain of the U20 Men’s team, with Karan Rajbhar as Vice-Captain. Rajan Rawat from Rajasthan has earned his maiden India call-up. The U20 Women’s team will be led by Rajasthan’s Bhumika Shukla, with Maharashtra’s Tanushree Bhosale named Vice-Captain.
“We’ve put in weeks of hard work and now we’re ready to make it count. Representing India at home is a special honour for all of us. We want to play cool headed, attacking rugby, shoulder to shoulder with each other and make the country proud,” said Sumit Kumar Roy, Captain of the Indian U20 Men’s Team.
The women’s U20 captain Bhumika Shukla added, “This team is full of heart and hunger. We’ve bonded well and built a rhythm. We look forward to playing in front of our home crows and make a name for Indian women’s rugby.”
This will be the first time since 2022 that both Indian U20 teams participate together at the continental level.
The Indian U20 Men’s team will be coached by Francisco ‘Paco’ Hernandez, with Terence Joseph serving as Assistant Coach. Hernandez, a former Spain 7s captain and Olympian, has over 290 international caps and was part of the European Championship-winning squad. His most recent stint in India was with the Bengaluru Bravehearts in the inaugural GMR Rugby Premier League.
The Indian U20 Women’s team will be coached by Kiano Fourie, assisted by Tilak Raj. Fourie has been a key figure in Rugby India’s development pathway since 2022, beginning with his work in Bihar’s youth setup. Since then, he has taken on multiple roles including Head Coach and Strength & Conditioning Coach, and is currently also in charge of the India U18 Girls team.
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Final Squads:
Indian U20 Men’s Team: Sumit Kumar Roy (C), Karan Rajbhar (VC), Ajit Nag, Bharat Kisan, Charan Hembram, David Munda, Deshraj Singh, Goldan Kumar, Rajan Rawat, Rohit Shaw, Sagar Prakash, Shivam
Indian U20 Women’s Team: Bhumika Shukla (C), Tanushree Bhosale (VC), Aarti Kumari, Akshaya NS, Alpana Kumari, Anshu Kumari, Guriya Kumari, Kyra Vincent, Mahak, Mamali Singh, Muskan Piploda, Ritu Majhi