The Indian Women’s Rugby Team Has Opened With A Storm In The Asian Tournament

Did you know that India has a women’s rugby team? They are currently in Vientiane, Laos for the Asia Rugby Women’s Seven Trophy, where they just defeated hosts Laos 22-7 in the tournament opener. 

The women are playing with six other nations, which are South Korea, Philippines, Malaysia, Nepal, Pakistan and the hosts, Laos. The winner secures a spot in the Asian Rugby Women’s Sevens Series which has three legs, and will be played from 1st September to 14th October this year.

The Times of India reports that the Rugby India secretary general, Mahesh Mathai (yes, the same filmmaker Mahesh Mathai who is also the co-founder of Blue Frog) said, “It’s very encouraging to see women’s rugby grow at such a rapid rate across the nation. The past five years has seen a tremendous growth in women’s participation in the sport.” He said that the participation of women in sports has shown a 600 percent rise in four years, rising from 5,355 in 2012 to 42,032 in 2016. The team has been training in Mumbai for their upcoming games.

Now the team is reportedly prepping hard for their next match in Laos, with their pint-sized mascot in tow.