Bhubaneswar, January 30: The inaugural edition ASMITA Rugby League - National, a women-only national rugby competition, will take place on 31st January and 1st February at the Kalinga Stadium here, featuring the country’s top-performing State teams across senior and age-group categories.

The tournament is being held under the Sports Authority of India’s ASMITA initiative, a flagship programme under the Khelo India scheme for women’s sports, with Indian Rugby Football Union, organising it with the support of the State Sports and Youth Services Department, and the Odisha Rugby Football Association.

The National League marks the culmination of a six-month-long, multi-tiered competitive structure aimed at strengthening women’s rugby pathways across the country.

The league will feature the top eight State teams, qualified through Rugby India’s Senior, Junior (U18), and Sub-Junior (U15) National Rugby Sevens Championships (2025-26).

In total, a total of 24 teams comprising 336 players and team officials will participate, making it one of the largest women’s rugby events conducted in the country. During the current season, as many as 49 city-level ASMITA leagues and two zonal leagues have already been conducted across the country, with participation from over 8,771 athletes across 858 teams, reflecting the rapid expansion of structured rugby opportunities for women and girls.

Rahul Bose, President, Indian Rugby Football Union, said, “ASMITA has emerged as one of the most impactful women’s sports initiatives in the country. The scale of participation we’ve seen this year - from city leagues to zonal competitions; shows how deeply the programme is resonating on the ground.”

“The National League in Bhubaneswar will celebrate the high quality women’s teams in the country while underlining the strength of the pathway we are building for women and girls in rugby,” said Bose.

The ASMITA Rugby League - National will feature two days of competitive action and adds to the series of national rugby events being hosted in Odisha during the current season, further supporting athlete development through regular high-level competition.

This competition is set to take place less than two weeks after the successful conclusion of the SubJunior National Rugby Sevens Championships (U-15 Boys & Girls) held at the same venue from 16-21 January 2026; which featured teams from 24 States and Union Territories.