Dominant Wins Mark Opening Day of Women’s Competition at National Rugby 15s Championship
Women’s Championship Begins in Style in Bhubaneswar
The Women’s competition at the National Rugby 15s Championship Division 1 kicked off in emphatic fashion at Kalinga Stadium in Bhubaneswar, Odisha. Held on International Women's Day, the opening day delivered high-intensity action as top teams showcased attacking dominance in their quarter-final encounters.
Two teams — Future Hope Harlequins and CC&FC Women — produced commanding performances to register convincing victories and secure their places in the next stage of the competition.
Future Hope Harlequins Register 66–0 Victory
Future Hope Harlequins began their campaign with an impressive 66–0 win over Chandigarh United, delivering a clinical performance in both attack and defence.
Suman Oraon led the scoring charge with an outstanding 30 points, while Chanda Oraon contributed 10 points. Riya Oraon added 7 points to the tally, with Lachmi Oraon and Nirjala Oraon also getting on the scoresheet as the Harlequins completed a comprehensive shutout victory.
CC&FC Women Produce 84–0 Masterclass
The second quarter-final saw CC&FC Women deliver an even more dominant performance, defeating Rugby Warriors – Kerala 84–0.
Latisha Madhu Khedekar starred with 27 points, while Jeena S added 15 points and Palak Poddar contributed 10 points. The Kolkata-based side maintained relentless attacking pressure, with additional scores coming from Dona Shaji, Priyanka R, Sara Yusuf Khan, Nimisha Deepak Shetye, Sneha Surendran, Rashi and Athira K P.
Championship Officially Declared Open
The championship also witnessed its official opening ceremony attended by representatives from the Government of Odisha and Rugby India.
The tournament was formally declared open by Bhupendra Singh Poonia, Commissioner-cum-Secretary, Department of Sports and Youth Services, Government of Odisha.
Dignitaries in Attendance
- Bijaya Kumar Swain, Additional Secretary, Department of Sports & Youth Services, Government of Odisha
- Sanaya Mehta Vyas, Vice President, Rugby India
- Gerald Prabhu, Honorary Secretary, Rugby India
- Dhiroj Kumar Pattanayak, Officer on Special Duty, Government of Odisha
- Sashwat Kumar Raut, Officer on Special Duty, Government of Odisha
Action Continues with Key Quarter-Final Clashes
Action at the championship continues with more quarter-final matches set to take place at Kalinga Stadium. Delhi Hurricanes will face Bangalore Rugby Club, while Future Hope Harlequins will take on Sergeant Institute Rugby Club for a place in Wednesday’s semi-finals.
Meanwhile, the teams that lost on the opening day will compete for positions in the Plate competition (5th–10th place) as the tournament progresses.