India Women’s Rugby 7s Finish Sixth in Asian Series Opener After Narrow Kazakhstan Defeat
India’s women’s rugby 7s team opened its 2026 season with a sixth-place finish at the Asian Rugby Sevens Series Leg 1 in China, narrowly missing out on what could have been the country’s best-ever finish in the competition.
India went down 12-17 to Kazakhstan in a closely fought fifth-place playoff, ending their campaign just outside the top five. Despite the disappointment of losing the deciding match, the result represented another important step for Indian women’s rugby, with the team securing a third consecutive top-six finish in the Asian series.
India had finished sixth in both legs of last year’s competition and once again showed that it can compete with some of Asia’s stronger rugby nations.
The fifth-place playoff appeared to be slipping away from India early on. Kazakhstan raced into a 12-0 lead, putting the Indian side under considerable pressure. However, the Indian players produced another impressive comeback, with Bhumika Shukla once again emerging as the key figure.
Shukla scored two tries to bring India level at 12-12, completing a remarkable fightback after the team had struggled to make an impact early in the contest. With the match seemingly heading towards a dramatic conclusion, Kazakhstan found the decisive score in the final stages to win 17-12.
The result meant India finished sixth, while Kazakhstan secured fifth place. It was a particularly frustrating defeat because India had already shown during the tournament that it could match higher-ranked opposition. Nevertheless, the performance reinforced the team's growing competitiveness at the continental level.
For the third consecutive time, Kazakhstan proved to be India's stumbling block in the fifth-sixth playoff of the Asian Rugby Sevens Series.
India dominates UAE to reach the top six.
Before the Kazakhstan defeat, India produced one of its most complete performances of the tournament against the United Arab Emirates. India defeated UAE 19-0 in the classification match, recording its third victory of the series and securing a place in the top six.
The performance was impressive at both ends of the field, with India combining attacking intent with disciplined defence. Bhumika Shukla, Ujjwala and Guriya Kumari were among the standout performers as India controlled the contest.
The clean sheet was particularly significant. India's defence had been one of its strengths throughout the campaign, and the UAE match provided a clear demonstration of how effective the team could be when its defensive organisation was matched by its attacking execution.
One of the memorable moments of India's campaign came during its match against UAE, where Guriya Kumari produced an outstanding defensive effort. The Indian scrum-half sprinted approximately 40 metres back to make a crucial tackle on an advancing UAE player. Despite being one of the smaller players on the field physically, Guriya showed no hesitation in throwing herself into the challenge.
Her performance reflected the character that has become increasingly associated with the Indian women's rugby team speed, courage and a willingness to compete against physically stronger opponents.
Moments like these underline that India's progress is not solely about results. The team's ability to produce committed defensive performances against more established rugby nations is an important sign of its development.
India's quarterfinal against Hong Kong provided another encouraging performance despite ending in defeat. Hong Kong won 17-0, but the final score does not tell the entire story. India defended resolutely during the first half and enjoyed periods of possession without being able to convert those opportunities into points.
The conditions then became increasingly difficult, with rain soaking the field. Hong Kong came out stronger after the break and eventually pulled away. However, India's defensive improvement was evident when compared with last year's meeting.
In the corresponding fixture last year, India had suffered a 0-29 defeat to Hong Kong. This time, they reduced the margin to 17 points and managed to keep the contest competitive for significant periods. That progress will be encouraging for the coaching staff and players as they prepare for the rest of the season.
The sixth-place finish gives India a solid platform as it enters a particularly important phase of the 2026 season. The team will now turn its attention towards the Asian Games in Japan, followed by the Colombo leg of the Asian Rugby Emirates Sevens Series.
The Asian Games will provide India's players with an opportunity to test themselves on an even bigger stage, while the upcoming Colombo leg will offer another chance to improve their position within Asian rugby. India's campaign in China showed both the progress and the areas that still need improvement.
The team demonstrated that it can produce dominant performances, as seen in the 19-0 win over UAE, while its defensive resilience against Hong Kong showed how far it has come in a year. At the same time, the narrow loss to Kazakhstan highlighted the importance of closing out matches after building momentum.
For Bhumika Shukla, Guriya Kumari, Ujjwala and the rest of the squad, the campaign will ultimately be viewed as another step forward.
India may have missed out on its highest-ever finish, but a third straight top-six result confirms that the women's rugby 7s team is becoming a consistent presence among Asia's leading sides.
The challenge now is to turn those top-six finishes into top-five and podium results.
With the Asian Games and another Asian Series leg still ahead, India's 2026 rugby journey is only beginning.
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