August 2026: India’s Senior Men’s and Women’s Rugby Sevens teams will compete against some of Asia’s top sides when Round 1 of the Asia Rugby Emirates Sevens Series 2026 begins in Suzhou, China, on August 29-30.
The two-round competition features 24 leading men’s and women’s national teams from across Asia. Following the opening round in Suzhou, the series will conclude in Colombo, Sri Lanka, on October 17-18, when the 2026 champions will be crowned.
The tournament will also provide important high-performance exposure for the Indian teams as they prepare for the Aichi-Nagoya 2026 Asian Games.
Men’s Team Begin New Chapter
The Indian Senior Men’s team enters the competition after earning promotion from the Asia Rugby Emirates Sevens Trophy 2025. India have been placed in Pool A, alongside Japan, the United Arab Emirates and Singapore.
Head Coach Paul Albaladejo said the team understands the step up in competition and is prepared to embrace the challenge.
“CASA 7s was a strong start to the season, but the Asia Rugby Emirates Sevens Series is a different level. Making our debut at the highest level in Asia is a big challenge, and that is exactly what we want. We know we’ll be tested, but we’re ready to step up, compete hard and embrace the opportunity,” he said.
The men’s side will be led by Mohit Khatri, with Sumit Kumar Roy serving as vice-captain.
Women Look to Build on 2025 Progress
The Indian Senior Women’s team will participate in its second successive season of the series. After finishing 10th in their first campaign, India climbed to sixth overall in 2025 and will now aim to continue that upward trajectory.
South African Paul Delport will remain in charge as head coach for a second season.
India have been drawn in Pool D alongside defending champions Japan, the United Arab Emirates and Iran. The competition will give the team another opportunity to measure its progress against some of the strongest Sevens programmes in Asia.
Delport said the team would target an improved ranking while remaining aware of the quality of the opposition.
“We’ll be aiming to improve on last year’s ranking, while recognising that the teams competing for those positions are world-class. We know the challenge ahead, and we’re ready to give our best and continue building on the progress we made last year,” he said.
Rugby India Confident of Strong Showing
Rugby India President Rahul Bose described the Asia Rugby Emirates Sevens Series as an important platform for both teams to establish themselves among Asia’s leading rugby nations.
“The Women have built a strong foundation from last year, while the Men’s promotion has opened a new chapter for the programme. We look forward to seeing both teams compete with confidence and pride in Suzhou,” Bose said.
Both Indian squads will depart for Suzhou on August 26 and return on August 31.
Final Squads
Senior Men: Mohit Khatri (C), Sumit Kumar Roy (VC), Ajay, Aryan Satish Dixit, Asis Sabar, Deepak Kumar Punia, Deshraj Singh, Ganesh Dhangada Majhi, Hitesh Dagar, Javed Hussein, Karan Rajbhar, Shivam Shukla and Shridhar Shrikant Nigade.
Senior Women: Shikha Yadav (C), Dumuni Marndi (VC), Amandeep Kaur, Arti Kumari, Bhumika Shukla, Chanel Crizzle, Guriya Kumari, Kalyani Patil, Mama Naik, Nirmalya Rout, Sandhya Rai, Sandhyarani Tudu and Ujjwala Ghuge.
Fans can watch the Asia Rugby Emirates Sevens Series live on Asia Rugby’s YouTube channel and RugbyPass TV.
The second and final round will be held in Colombo on October 17-18, bringing the series to a close and deciding the 2026 champions.
