Bhubaneswar: Odisha were crowned champions of the 13th Senior National Rugby 7s Championship after a commanding 27-0 victory over defending champions Bihar in the final at the State Sports Complex, Rajgir, Bihar on Friday.
The final marked the third successive summit clash between Odisha and Bihar, underlining their dominance in the Women’s competition. Odisha’s clinical performance was led by Nirmalya Rout, who scored 15 points through three tries, while Tarulata Naik added 10 points with two tries. Parbati Hansdah also got on the scoresheet, sealing a comprehensive win and a third national title in six years for Odisha women.
Earlier, West Bengal secured the bronze medal with a 26-0 win over Delhi in the 3rd place playoff. The scoring effort was shared across the side, with Riya Oraon (7 points), Rima Oraon (5 points), Namista Oraon (5 points), and Sandhya Rai (9 points) all contributing in a comprehensive team performance.
The knockout phase began with the Cup Pre-Quarterfinals on Day 1, where Rajasthan, West Bengal, Maharashtra, Odisha, Delhi, Kerala, Punjab, and Bihar progressed with convincing wins.
On Day-2 in the Semi-finals, Odisha defeated West Bengal 31-7, while Bihar overcame Delhi 33-7, setting up yet another final between the two dominant sides. Their presence in three successive finals underlines their consistency and dominance in the Women’s competition at the national level.
The tournament also witnessed impressive attacking output from the top teams, with Odisha finishing as the highest-scoring side with 235 points, followed by West Bengal with 229 points and Bihar with 227 points.
In a closely contested race for the top scorer, West Bengal’s Sandhya Rai finished on top with 57 points (five tries and 16 conversions). Odisha’s Tarulata Naik followed just behind with 56 points (10 tries and three conversions), while Bihar’s Arti Kumari rounded off the top three with 55 points from 11 tries.
