Kolkata: Rugby India has named a 13-member Senior Women’s Rugby Sevens squad for the Aichi-Nagoya 2026 Asian Games, where India will face defending champions China, Hong Kong China and Malaysia in Pool B.
The Women’s Rugby Sevens competition will be held from October 1 to 3 at the Paloma Mizuho Rugby Stadium in Nagoya, Japan. The tournament will mark India’s second consecutive appearance at the Asian Games after the team returned to the continental event at Hangzhou in 2022.
India made its Asian Games debut in women’s Rugby Sevens at Guangzhou in 2010 but missed the 2014 and 2018 editions. At Hangzhou 2022, the Indian team finished seventh.
The current squad carries significant continuity from the Hangzhou campaign, with six players from the 2022 team retained for the Nagoya Games. Shikha Yadav, Sandhya Rai, Mama Naik, Dumuni Marndi, Kalyani Patil and Vashnavi Patil are among those returning to the Asian Games stage.
The squad enters the competition after a year of regular international exposure, including India’s second consecutive season in the Asia Rugby Emirates Sevens Series.
India finished sixth in Round 1 of the 2026 series in Suzhou, matching its sixth-place finish from the previous season. The international campaign has provided the team with competitive exposure ahead of its Asian Games challenge.
Preparations have also been underway at a national camp at the Sports Authority of India’s Netaji Subhas Eastern Centre in Kolkata. The extended camp has focused on team combinations, tactical systems, physical conditioning and match preparation.
Head Coach Paul Delport said the Asian Games had been an important target for the team throughout the season. He said the focus during preparations had been on consistency, composure under pressure and executing the team’s plans effectively.
Rugby India President Rahul Bose said the Asian Games remained an important platform for Indian athletes and noted the significance of the women’s Rugby Sevens team returning for a second successive edition.
He also highlighted the continuity from the Hangzhou squad and the team’s regular participation in international competitions as important aspects of its development.
The Nagoya Games will therefore provide India with another opportunity to test its progress against some of Asia’s leading Rugby Sevens sides, beginning with a challenging Pool B featuring defending champions China.
