{"id":11018,"date":"2026-11-13T15:27:15","date_gmt":"2026-11-13T15:27:15","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/agamiduniya.in\/?p=11018"},"modified":"2026-11-13T16:23:06","modified_gmt":"2026-11-13T16:23:06","slug":"bhubaneswar-set-to-host-continents-emerging-rugby-talent-as-trophy-unveiled-for-asia-rugby-emirates-u20-sevens-2026","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/agamiduniya.in\/?p=11018","title":{"rendered":"Bhubaneswar ready to host the continent&#8217;s rising rugby talent as Asia Rugby unveils trophy for Emirates Under-20 Sevens 2026"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Bhubaneswar,13 November 2026 [ADN] :<\/strong> The official trophy of the Asia Rugby Emirates U20 Sevens 2026 was unveiled today by Shri Suryabanshi Suraj, Hon\u2019ble Sports Minister, Government of Odisha, ahead of the two-day international competition scheduled for 14\u201315 November at Kalinga Stadium, Bhubaneswar. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"704\" src=\"https:\/\/agamiduniya.in\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/11\/909741-1024x704.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-11023\" srcset=\"https:\/\/agamiduniya.in\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/11\/909741-1024x704.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/agamiduniya.in\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/11\/909741-300x206.jpg 300w, https:\/\/agamiduniya.in\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/11\/909741-768x528.jpg 768w, https:\/\/agamiduniya.in\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/11\/909741-1536x1056.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/agamiduniya.in\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/11\/909741-2048x1408.jpg 2048w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The tournament will bring together 17 teams from 10 nations across Asia, with 10 teams competing in the men\u2019s competition and seven in the women\u2019s competition. The participating nations are India, Singapore, Malaysia, Hong Kong China, Thailand, Uzbekistan, Sri Lanka, Chinese Taipei, Nepal and Jordan. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<iframe loading=\"lazy\"  id=\"_ytid_10261\"  width=\"640\" height=\"360\"  data-origwidth=\"640\" data-origheight=\"360\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/XKWNKP_eIvU?enablejsapi=1&#038;autoplay=0&#038;cc_load_policy=0&#038;cc_lang_pref=&#038;iv_load_policy=1&#038;loop=0&#038;rel=1&#038;fs=1&#038;playsinline=0&#038;autohide=2&#038;theme=dark&#038;color=red&#038;controls=1&#038;disablekb=0&#038;\" class=\"__youtube_prefs__  epyt-is-override  no-lazyload\" title=\"YouTube player\"  allow=\"fullscreen; accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen data-no-lazy=\"1\" data-skipgform_ajax_framebjll=\"\"><\/iframe>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Shri Suryabanshi Suraj, Hon\u2019ble Sports &amp; Youth Services Minister, Government of Odisha, said, \u201cOdisha is delighted to host the Asia Rugby Emirates U20 Sevens 2026 in Bhubaneswar. Our continued investment in sporting infrastructure and commitment to hosting major competitions reflect our ambition to create opportunities for athletes at every level. We are equally focused on identifying talent at the grassroots, nurturing young athletes and providing them with the right training and support to excel at national and international levels. We warmly welcome all participating teams and officials to Odisha and wish them an exciting and memorable championship.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Shri Gerald Prabhu, Executive Committee Member, Asia Rugby and Secretary General, Rugby India, said, \u201cHosting international competitions such as the Asia Rugby Emirates U20 Sevens is important for the continued growth of rugby in India. It brings high-quality competition to our home soil, gives Indian players the opportunity to test themselves against strong international opposition and inspires more young people to take up the sport. With international rugby returning to Odisha after eight years, this championship is also an opportunity to build on the state&#8217;s growing association with rugby. We are grateful to the Government of Odisha, the Department of Sports &amp; Youth Services, Asia Rugby and Odisha Rugby Football Association for their support in making this event possible.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"490\" src=\"https:\/\/agamiduniya.in\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/11\/909643-1024x490.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-11025\" srcset=\"https:\/\/agamiduniya.in\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/11\/909643-1024x490.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/agamiduniya.in\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/11\/909643-300x143.jpg 300w, https:\/\/agamiduniya.in\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/11\/909643-768x367.jpg 768w, https:\/\/agamiduniya.in\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/11\/909643.jpg 1175w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Shri Benjamin van Rooyen, CEO, Asia Rugby, said, \u201cIndia is steadily strengthening its position as an emerging rugby nation in Asia, with growing participation, development initiatives and an increasing presence on the international stage. Hosting the Asia Rugby Emirates U20 Sevens 2026 further reinforces this progress and provides an important platform for the next generation of Indian players to compete against the best age-grade teams in the region. Odisha, with its excellent sporting infrastructure and experience in hosting major international events, provides a fitting setting for this competition. Asia Rugby truly appreciates the efforts of Rugby India in making this event in India possible, along with the support of the Government of Odisha and all stakeholders involved.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><em>COMPETITION FORMAT AND POOLS<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The men\u2019s competition features 10 teams divided into two pools, while the women\u2019s competition features seven teams across two pools.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><em>MEN\u2019S COMPETITION<\/em> : Group A : Hong Kong China, India, Uzbekistan, Chinese Taipei, Nepal <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Group B, Sri Lanka, Malaysia,Thailand,Singapore, Jordan<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><em>WOMEN\u2019S COMPETITION<\/em> : Group C : Hong Kong China,Malaysia, Thailand<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Group D : India, Sri Lanka, Singapore,Nepal<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><em>INDIA\u2019S MATCH SCHEDULE<\/em> : India will compete in seven pool matches across the two days, with the knockout stage scheduled for Day 2 following the pool fixtures.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">DAY 1 &#8211; 14 NOVEMBER  <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">9:00 AM | Men | India vs Uzbekistan<br>11:12 AM | Women | India vs Nepal<br>2:22 PM | Women | India vs Singapore<br>3:28 PM | Men | Hong Kong China vs India<br>4:56 PM | Women | India vs Sri Lanka<br>5:40 PM | Men | India vs Nepal<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">DAY 2 &#8211; 15 NOVEMBER <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">9:00 AM | Men | India vs Chinese Taipei  The Day 2 schedule will continue with the men\u2019s final group stage matches followed by the knockout stage, where teams will compete for the final standings and championship titles.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><em>INTERNATIONAL RUGBY RETURNS TO ODISHA<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The Asia Rugby Emirates U20 Sevens 2026 marks the return of international rugby to Bhubaneswar after eight years. The city last hosted an international rugby event in 2018.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Odisha has continued to strengthen its association with rugby through the hosting of several national-level competitions in 2026, including the Sub-Junior National Rugby Sevens Championship, the National Rugby 15s Championship and the ASMITA National League. The state has also contributed five players to India\u2019s women\u2019s rugby squad at the Asian Games.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The championship follows India\u2019s hosting of the India-New Zealand U20 Rugby Series in Rajgir, Bihar, in October 2026, marking the country\u2019s second successive international U20 rugby event. With the trophy unveiled and final preparations in place, Bhubaneswar is set to welcome teams from across Asia for two days of exciting and action-packed international rugby at the iconic Kalinga Stadium on 14 and 15 November.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Bhubaneswar,13 November 2026 [ADN] : The official trophy of the Asia Rugby Emirates U20 Sevens 2026 was unveiled<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":11028,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[30],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-11018","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-30"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/agamiduniya.in\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/11018","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/agamiduniya.in\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/agamiduniya.in\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/agamiduniya.in\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/agamiduniya.in\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=11018"}],"version-history":[{"count":6,"href":"https:\/\/agamiduniya.in\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/11018\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":11029,"href":"https:\/\/agamiduniya.in\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/11018\/revisions\/11029"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/agamiduniya.in\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/11028"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/agamiduniya.in\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=11018"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/agamiduniya.in\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=11018"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/agamiduniya.in\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=11018"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}