Mumbai (Maharashtra) [India], October 9 (ANI): Following an impressive debut in Hangzhou, where India finished 6th overall, the Indian Rugby Football Union (IRFU) on Thursday announced the Senior Women's Rugby Sevens squad set to compete in Leg 2 of the Asia Rugby Emirates Sevens Series (ARESS) 2025, scheduled for October 18-19 in Colombo, Sri Lanka, as per a release from IRFU.

After entering Leg 1 as the 10th seeds and finishing among the top six teams, the Indian side heads into the Colombo leg with renewed belief and valuable experience gained from facing Asia's best. The team's performances, including wins over the Philippines (24-5) and the UAE (19-12), demonstrated India's growing strength, skill, and composure at the top level.

The Asia Rugby Emirates Sevens Series features Asia's 12 top national teams competing across multiple legs, with cumulative points determining final rankings.

Speaking on the team's progress, Rahul Bose, President of the Indian Rugby Football Union, said, 'The performance in Hangzhou was both encouraging and inspiring. To debut in Asia's premier competition and finish sixth reflects the dedication and progress of our women's rugby programme. As the team prepares for Colombo, we look forward to building on this momentum and continuing our journey towards establishing India among Asia's elite.'

Paul Delport, Head Coach of the Indian Women's Sevens Team, added, 'We took valuable lessons from Leg 1 - both in execution and in consistency. The focus now is on converting those learnings into results in Colombo. The players have shown great commitment, and we're eager to see them perform with confidence and clarity once again.'

Captain Shikha Yadav shared her thoughts ahead of the second leg, 'We're proud of what we achieved in Hangzhou, but we know there's more we can do. Every game has made us stronger and more connected as a team. We're heading to Colombo focused, determined, and excited to give our best for India.'

The confirmed squad for Leg 2 comprises the core group from Hangzhou, along with players returning to the national setup, bringing valuable experience and depth to the team. India will look to build on their top-six finish and further solidify their standing in Asian women's rugby.

Confirmed Squad:Shikha Yadav (C), Dumuni Marndi (VC), Amandeep Kaur, Ujjwala Ghuge, Guriya Kumari, Sandhya Rai, Bhumika Shukla, Sandhyarani Tudu, Nirmalya Rout, Arti Kumari, Kalyani Patil, Vaishnavi Patil, Tarulata Naik. (ANI)