Rugby India
| Sport | Rugby union |
|---|---|
| Founded | 1998 |
| World Rugby affiliation | 1999 |
| Asia Rugby affiliation | 1998 |
| President | Rahul Bose[1] |
| Men's coach | Waisale Serevi |
| Women's coach | Waisale Serevi |
| Website | www |
The Indian Rugby Football Union (IRFU), also known as Rugby India is the governing body for sport of rugby union in India.[2] It is headquartered in Mumbai, Maharashtra. The federation was founded in 1998 and it became affiliated to World Rugby in 1999.[3]
Rugby India administers all India national teams: men's, women's, men's sevens and women's sevens. It also manages both U20 national teams.
History
Rugby Union in India dates back to a scratch match or two played in Kolkata and Madras during the visit of MS Galatea in 1871. The first recorded match was played on Christmas Day 1872, at CFC Ground in Kolkata, it was played between England and a combined team of Scotland, Ireland and Wales.[4]
In 1998 the India Rugby Football Union was founded and in 1999 the IFRU gained association from the International Rugby Board. In March 2019, former South African player Naas Botha became coach of national team. He accepted the job for short term.[5]
Rugby India (RI) organised Asian under 18 tournament in 2018 at Kalinga Stadium, Bhubaneswar, Odisha. In the tournament 14 nations participated and India finished on 4th position.[6] Rugby India was founded in 1998. It is sole governing body for rugby in India. It is recognized by Sports ministry of India and affiliated to the World Rugby, the international governing body of the sport in the world.[7]
State associations
State Associations affiliated with the IRFU.[8][9]
State/UT members
| No. | Association | State/UT | Reg. year |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Rugby Football Association Andaman Nicobar | Andaman and Nicobar Islands | 2021 |
| 2 | Andhra Pradesh Rugby Association | Andhra Pradesh | 2016 |
| 3 | Rugby Association of Assam | Assam | 2006 |
| 4 | Rugby Football Association of Bihar | Bihar | 2017 |
| 5 | Chandigarh Rugby Football Association | Chandigarh | 2001 |
| 6 | Chhattisgarh Rugby Football Association | Chhattisgarh | 2004 |
| 7 | Rugby Association of Dadra & Nagar Haveli and Daman & Diu | Dadra & Nagar Haveli and Daman & Diu | 2024 |
| 8 | Rugby Association of Delhi | Delhi | 2019 |
| 9 | Goa Rugby Union | Goa | 2018 |
| 10 | Rugby Football Association of Gujarat | Gujarat | 2015 |
| 11 | Haryana State Rugby Football Association | Haryana | 2009 |
| 12 | Himachal Pradesh Rugby Association | Himachal Pradesh | 2025 |
| 13 | Jammu & Kashmir Rugby Association | Jammu and Kashmir | 2021 |
| 14 | Jharkhand Rugby football Association | Jharkhand | 2022 |
| 15 | Karnataka Rugby Football Union | Karnataka | 2006 |
| 16 | State Rugby Association – Kerala | Kerala | 2015 |
| 17 | Rugby Football Association – Madhya Pradesh | Madhya Pradesh | 2020 |
| 18 | Rugby Association of Maharashtra | Maharashtra | 2010 |
| 19 | Amateur Rugby Association of Manipur | Manipur | 2001 |
| 20 | Odisha Rugby Football Association | Odisha | 1998 |
| 21 | Puducherry Amateur Rugby Football Association | Puducherry | 2018 |
| 22 | Rugby Association – Punjab | Punjab | 2015 |
| 23 | Rajasthan Rugby Association | Rajasthan | 2023 |
| 24 | Tamil Nadu Rugby Football Union | Tamil Nadu | 2000 |
| 25 | Telangana Rugby Association | Telangana | 2017 |
| 26 | Rugby Football Association Uttar Pradesh | Uttar Pradesh | 2022 |
| 27 | Uttarakhand Rugby Association | Uttarakhand | 2021 |
| 28 | Bengal Rugby-Football Union | West Bengal | 2001 |
Other members
| No. | Association | Department | President |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Services Sports Control Board | Indian Armed Forces | Dinesh Suri |
Coaching staff
- Head coach: Waisale Serevi[10]
- Strength and conditioning coach: Kiano Fourie
- Team Analyst: Fhatuwani Rasivhenge
- Physiotherapist: Wahid Khan, Lizanne Paes
See also
References
- ^ "IRFU Board". Rugby India. Retrieved 7 January 2022.
- ^ "About Us". Rugby India. Retrieved 1 July 2022.
- ^ "Indian rugby's birth pangs". Sportstar. 4 April 2015.
- ^ Union, Indian Rugby Football. "Indian Rugby Football Union". indiarugby.com. Retrieved 1 July 2024.
- ^ "Naas Botha accepts coaching position with India". 31 March 2019.
- ^ "Indian Rugby team partners with Odisha govt, KIIT to support high-performance program".
- ^ "Indian Rugby Football Union".
- ^ "State Associations affiliated with IRFU". Rugby India. Retrieved 25 April 2024.
- ^ "IRFU List of Members" (PDF). Rugby India. Retrieved 25 April 2024.
- ^ "Waisale Serevi appointed head coach of Indian rugby sevens teams". www.olympics.com. Retrieved 20 June 2024.
Further reading
- "India Rugby Football Union — Member Clubs". indiarugby.com. Archived from the original on 3 August 2021. Retrieved 8 August 2024.