Indian women''s rugby team wins two matches out of three in ARESS 2025 Leg 2

Colombo, Oct 18 (PTI) Indian senior women’s rugby sevens team won two matches out of three on Day 1 of the Asia Emirates Sevens Series (ARESS) 2025 Leg 2, here on Saturday.

India, however, failed to reach the semifinals. They will play in the 5th-8th place playoffs.

The day began with a 17-7 victory over the UAE, where India’s resilience shone through in a physical contest.

Bhumika Shukla gave India an early lead before UAE clawed their way back to wrestle the advantage. India, however, showed composure and determination, with Bhumika scoring again and Kalyani Patil sealing the result late in the match to ensure a confident start to their campaign.

In the second match, the Indian team delivered a clinical performance to outclass Indonesia 50-0, marking one of their most dominant displays at the continental level.

Captain Shikha Yadav set the tone with the opening try and added another later in the match. Kalyani Patil and Nirmalya Rout each crossed the line twice, while Sandhyarani Tudu and Dumuni Marndi also added their names to the scoresheet.

Sandhya Rai and Tarulata Naik contributed with two conversions apiece, rounding off a complete team performance built on pace, precision, and attacking pressure.

The final pool fixture saw India take on top seed Japan, the winners of Leg 1 in Hangzhou. Despite a spirited effort, India were outplayed by the tournament favourites, going down 0-43. PTI PDS PDS DDV