The popularity of rugby as a sport is rising and more girls seem to be drawn towards it. A few years ago, no one would have predicted that India’s first women’s rugby team would be playing at the Asia sevens tournament in 2009.
The rugby sevens format is a variant of rugby union in which teams are made up of seven players, instead of the usual 15. Rugby sevens is now a part of Olympics 2016 as well the Commonwealth Games. “Changing the mindset was the most difficult obstacle. People didn’t want to partake in a sport that they knew gave them a good amount of pain. Moreover the attitude of city was cold since it’s a little laidback town,” said Surud Khare, coach of Pune rugby team.
Initially there was a lot of competition from team sports like football and hockey which are considered the toughest team games and are popular in schools and colleges.
The fruits of Khare’s efforts are seen in the number of Pune players in the national rugby women’s team.
In March 2009, it is a matter of record that eleven out of 13 girls selected to play for India in the first ever Indian women’s rugby team were from the Pune team. This gave the sport respectability and parents began to take the game more seriously.
It was a vindication of sorts for the likes of Khare who was privately told that he would find it arduous to fill in a boys’ rugby team. “Participation in the Asia sevens tourney opened the way to more girls wanting to take up the sport as they realised that there was a chance to represent the country through rugby. With the sport now being accepted into the Olympics, hopefully it will be recognised by the schools and universities as an official sport. I hope to see the trickle turn into a flood,” Khare informed.
Despite rugby being a relatively newer sport, the girls had no apprehensions, since they had been a part of the football team. Players were comfortable with the coaching and training provided.
The only grouse is that there is paucity of time to practice for the game. Since girls in the age group of 17-22 are drawn towards the game, they find it hard to juggle their academic life and their passion.
Fans feel that the game needs more visibility to make an impact. “Rugby needs to be regularly shown on television. People in India are fascinated with contact sports and aggression. They are certain to fall in love with the game,” informed Khare.
Apart from the young college girls, there are two women police constables who have shown interest. They have participated in coaching sessions from a couple of months. However, young aficionados feel the need for better facilities and playgrounds.
After achieving several milestones, the coach now wants to turn the group into better
players and wants to ensure a strong base and supply line at inter-school level to ensure Pune’s presence at the top of Indian women’s rugby league. “Rugby is a great way to let out some steam and just have fun along with the discipline that it tends to bring in,” said Niharika Bal, one of the players.
She added, “The sport is still developing especially for girls but recently it’s been getting a lot of attention. We got to see a different level of sportsmanship during the international matches in Pattaya which was a great learning experience.”
