Rugby India gets support from Odisha government, U18 girls team to compete at Asian Championships

Bhubaneswar: Rugby India on Saturday announced that they have got a partner in state government of Odisha and sporting action will resume with country’s U18 girls team competing at the Asia Rugby Sevens Championship in Tashkent, Uzbekistan on 18 and 19 September. The national training and selection camp has already commenced at the KIIT University campus in Bhubaneswar from 14 August and will continue till 16 September. “The partnership between Rugby India and government of Odisha has started taking shape. I would like to extend my best wishes to all girls who will make it to the U-18 squad that will play the Asian sevens in Uzbekistan,” Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik said. Based on performance at last sub-junior national championships along with recent fitness and skill test results, 52 girls from 13 states/UTs across India have been shortlisted to join the camp. The preparations will be overseen by renowned coaches from South Africa like Hendrik ‘Naas’ Botha (South Africa Rugby Legend & 4 times World Rugby player of the year) and Ludwiche Van Deventer (Rugby Sevens Specialist). Jannie Brooks (Strength & Conditioning Expert) along with Indian Women’s Rugby Team captain Vahbiz Bharucha (mentor & official Physiotherapist for the Under 18 Girls rugby team will also be with the team. The Indian national team, sponsored by Societe Generale, has officially partnered with the government of Odisha and the Kalinga Institute of Industrial Technology (KIIT), as associate sponsors, to support the Rugby India’s High-Performance program for the next three years. President, Rugby India Vikram Ahuja said, “The Indian U18 Girls team is currently ranked fourth in Asia and it is our aim to better that position in this competition. We are grateful to Societe Generale and all our partners for their commitment to supporting Rugby in India.” “A special mention for the Government of Odisha that has been the backbone of many sports, including Rugby, providing both financial as well as infrastructure support to help develop, promote and expand Rugby not just at the high-performance level but also within the sports ecosystem in Odisha.” Toby Lawson, Chief Executive Officer, Societe Generale India said, “We support the game of rugby from grassroots through to the professional level, especially encouraging the participation of rugby by women and younger generations as a channel for social inclusion.”