India Men’s and Women’s Teams Set for CASA Rugby 7s Tashkent 2026 Campaign

Indian rugby will enter a new competitive chapter this weekend as both the men’s and women’s national teams prepare to compete at the inaugural CASA Rugby 7s Tashkent 2026 in Uzbekistan.

The tournament, scheduled from May 16 to 17 in Tashkent, marks the first-ever event organised under the CASA Rugby alliance framework. Six men’s and six women’s teams from across Asia will participate in the competition, making it an important addition to the regional Rugby Sevens calendar. For India, the tournament offers more than just match exposure. It represents another opportunity to strengthen its standing in Asian Rugby Sevens while testing combinations against regional rivals in a compressed, high-intensity format.

The CASA Rugby alliance tournament has been launched with the objective of increasing competitive opportunities for emerging rugby nations across Asia. Rugby Sevens has seen significant growth in the continent over the last decade, especially after its inclusion in the Olympic programme. However, outside the major Asian Rugby Sevens circuit and continental championships, consistent international competition opportunities remain limited for several developing nations.

The CASA Rugby 7s aims to address that gap by creating a dedicated regional platform featuring shorter competition cycles and increased cross-border match exposure.

For countries like India, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Mongolia, Sri Lanka, and Uzbekistan, such tournaments are crucial for long-term squad development.

Indian Men’s Team Faces Competitive Draw

India’s men’s team enters the tournament with a demanding fixture list spread across two days. The campaign begins on May 16 against hosts Uzbekistan at 9:30 AM IST, followed by matches against Kyrgyzstan and Mongolia later in the day.

However, the biggest fixture arrives on May 17, when India faces Pakistan at 9:55 AM IST in what is expected to be one of the most closely watched matches of the tournament. India will then conclude their preliminary fixtures against Sri Lanka, which is expected to be very closely fought before the final placement matches.

The structure ensures that every game carries importance, particularly with only six participating teams and ranking positions likely to be decided through tight margins.

India’s women’s rugby team will also begin their campaign on May 16, opening against hosts Uzbekistan. The women’s side will subsequently face Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan on the opening day before returning on May 17 for matches against Mongolia and Sri Lanka. Indian women’s rugby has shown steady improvement over recent years, particularly in the sevens format, where speed, endurance, and transitional play become decisive factors.

The Tashkent event presents another opportunity for the squad to gain valuable international match experience while continuing to build consistency at the regional level.

For Indian rugby, Sevens continues to remain the primary development pathway internationally. Unlike the traditional fifteen-a-side format, Rugby Sevens places greater emphasis on pace, athleticism, and quick transitions areas where developing rugby nations often find opportunities to compete more evenly against established teams.

India has invested more heavily into the Sevens structure over the past few years through exposure tours, conditioning programmes, and participation in Asian-level competitions. The shorter format also aligns well with multi-sport event structures such as the Asian Games, where Rugby Sevens remains part of the programme.

The CASA Rugby 7s schedule also introduces several regional rivalries that add competitive significance beyond rankings. For the men’s team, the India-Pakistan fixture naturally stands out. While rugby does not yet carry the same historic intensity between the two nations as cricket or hockey, contests between India and Pakistan continue to attract strong attention.

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Similarly, matches against Sri Lanka and Kazakhstan could prove important benchmarks in assessing India’s progress relative to other developing Asian rugby programmes. In the women’s competition, Kazakhstan’s traditionally physical style and Sri Lanka’s growing sevens structure are expected to test India’s adaptability.

India Schedule – CASA Rugby 7s Tashkent 2026 (IST)

Men’s Fixtures

• May 16:

  • vs Uzbekistan – 9:30 AM

  • vs Kyrgyzstan – 12:50 PM

  • vs Mongolia – 2:55 PM

• May 17:

  • vs Pakistan – 9:55 AM

  • vs Sri Lanka – 12:50 PM

Women’s Fixtures

• May 16:

  • vs Uzbekistan – 10:45 AM

  • vs Kazakhstan – 2:05 PM

  • vs Kyrgyzstan – 4:10 PM

• May 17:

  • vs Mongolia – 11:10 AM

  • vs Sri Lanka – 2:05 PM

Final placement matches for both categories will be confirmed based on standings.

As the inaugural CASA Rugby 7s begins in Tashkent, India’s men’s and women’s teams will look to make a strong statement in what could become an important recurring competition on the Asian rugby calendar.