17-0! Indian rugby girls steal the show against New Zealand side

KOLKATA: Even as the Abhishek Sharma blitzkrieg dominated headlines in the morning, there was a different India-New Zealand sporting chatter that dominated social media in the evening.It was the video of one of the two successful tries by the Indian U20 women’s rugby sevens team against a team from heavyweights New Zealand comprising U20 Maori players from the country at Rajgir International Sports Complex on Tuesday.The match was a part of the India-New Zealand U20 Rugby Series as part of the 100 Years of Unity through Sport initiative.And while the Indian girls’ spectacular performance was against an invitational team from New Zealand, a 17-0 shut-out win over any All Blacks team deserves the attention the historic victory got around the country.The Indian squad put on a masterclass in structural discipline and tackle precision, storming to a 12–0 half-time lead before sealing the huge shutout with a final late try.“It was a once in a lifetime experience! I had only watched videos of the New Zealand teams’ matches before. It was great to be able to play with them,” India U20 player Akshaya NS said after the match as she shared a hug with her counterpart from New Zealand, Anyis Drossaerts Lake.While the team’s feat grabbed eyeballs on Tuesday, it was not the first achievement of an Indian women’s rugby team with the senior women’s national team attaining their best-ever Asian Games finish of sixth in Nagoya earlier this month. The Asiad campaign this time, that saw a lot of improvement from their show in Hangzhou 2022, was also the first time that an Indian women’s team had won two of its group games.There has been a steady development in Indian rugby since former South Africa rugby player moved to India in 2022, initially to work with Bihar Rugby, and has now been a member of the coaching staff and high-performance coach and scout for Rugby India.The U20 Rugby series under the 100 years’ initiative featured joint training sessions, cultural interactions and four Rugby Sevens matches, including, for the first time, two mixed-team matches in which players from India and New Zealand played together.“The mixed match was really fun as we got to play together after playing against one another,” Akshaya said pointing to Lake.“But one of the best experiences was watching a live Haka here in Rajgir in front of our very eyes,” added the excited Indian youngster.The New Zealand U20 Maori men’s team, before beating the Indian U20 men 32-0, gave everyone a taste of their culture with a Haka performance before the kick-off.The series emphasised the role of sport in advancing bilateral ties, cultural understanding and youth development, reflecting sport’s increasing importance in India’s international engagement and fostering a more connected global sporting community.It also built on an ongoing cooperation between Rugby India and New Zealand Rugby and in May this year, New Zealand Rugby coaching educators conducted a development programme for 35 Indian coaches at Kalinga Stadium in Bhubaneswar, aiming to enhance coaching capabilities and support rugby’s growth in India.As Rugby India chairman Rahul Bose put it, “The India-New Zealand U20 Rugby Series is about much more than the game itself. As we mark 100 years of sporting ties between our countries, bringing these young players together reflects the values that make rugby special: respect, teamwork and friendship.”Pic credit: Rugby IndiaGet the latest Sports News and Live updates. Download the TOI app.