India's senior men's rugby team won the silver medal while the women's team finished fourth at the inaugural CASA Rugby 7s 2026, held in Tashkent, Uzbekistan, in an encouraging start to the international season.
Men fall to Sri Lanka in final
The men's team, playing under newly appointed head coach Paul Albaladejo, impressed through the tournament. India won four straight matches to reach the final, opening their campaign with victories over hosts Uzbekistan (24-12), Kyrgyzstan (31-0) and Mongolia (26-14), followed by a 20-14 win over Pakistan on Day 2.
Their only defeats came against Sri Lanka — 12-33 in the final round-robin fixture and 10-31 in the title clash, leaving India with the silver medal. David Munda and Sumit Kumar Roy led India's scoring with four tries each, while Devendra Padir and Hitesh Dagar added three apiece.
Women show fight, Mahak shines
The senior women's squad, featuring several young players identified through the domestic circuit and the Senior Nationals, showed character after a difficult opening day against Uzbekistan (7-22) and Kazakhstan (7-19). India responded with a dominant 72-0 victory over Kyrgyzstan and a 33-0 win over Mongolia on Day 2.
The standout moment came against eventual champions Sri Lanka, whom India beat 22-19 through a last-minute try from Mahak — the hosts' only defeat of the tournament. India eventually finished fourth after a 14-20 loss to Uzbekistan in the third-place playoff.
Mahak was crowned the tournament's Women's Player of the Tournament, finishing as India's leading scorer with nine tries, while captain Parbati Hansdah contributed 12 conversions across the campaign.
A new competition
The CASA (Central Asia and South Asia) 7s is a new international Rugby Sevens competition for nations from both regions, officially sanctioned by Asia Rugby and World Rugby, and played in a round-robin plus classification format. Rugby India president Rahul Bose said the event had been "an important start to the international season" for both programmes, noting several encouraging performances as the teams build towards the rest of the 2026 season.
Sources: Cricketnmore (IANS): Indian Men Win Silver, Women Finish Fourth at Inaugural CASA Rugby 7s 2026
Men fall to Sri Lanka in final
The men's team, playing under newly appointed head coach Paul Albaladejo, impressed through the tournament. India won four straight matches to reach the final, opening their campaign with victories over hosts Uzbekistan (24-12), Kyrgyzstan (31-0) and Mongolia (26-14), followed by a 20-14 win over Pakistan on Day 2.
Their only defeats came against Sri Lanka — 12-33 in the final round-robin fixture and 10-31 in the title clash, leaving India with the silver medal. David Munda and Sumit Kumar Roy led India's scoring with four tries each, while Devendra Padir and Hitesh Dagar added three apiece.
Women show fight, Mahak shines
The senior women's squad, featuring several young players identified through the domestic circuit and the Senior Nationals, showed character after a difficult opening day against Uzbekistan (7-22) and Kazakhstan (7-19). India responded with a dominant 72-0 victory over Kyrgyzstan and a 33-0 win over Mongolia on Day 2.
The standout moment came against eventual champions Sri Lanka, whom India beat 22-19 through a last-minute try from Mahak — the hosts' only defeat of the tournament. India eventually finished fourth after a 14-20 loss to Uzbekistan in the third-place playoff.
Mahak was crowned the tournament's Women's Player of the Tournament, finishing as India's leading scorer with nine tries, while captain Parbati Hansdah contributed 12 conversions across the campaign.
A new competition
The CASA (Central Asia and South Asia) 7s is a new international Rugby Sevens competition for nations from both regions, officially sanctioned by Asia Rugby and World Rugby, and played in a round-robin plus classification format. Rugby India president Rahul Bose said the event had been "an important start to the international season" for both programmes, noting several encouraging performances as the teams build towards the rest of the 2026 season.
Sources: Cricketnmore (IANS): Indian Men Win Silver, Women Finish Fourth at Inaugural CASA Rugby 7s 2026
