Bhubaneswar: Double tries by Ranjulata Naik guided Odisha girls emerged champion of the 11th Junior National Rugby 7s Championship (Girls) after a hard-fought 15-10 victory over Maharashtra in an enthralling final at the GMC Balayogi Athletic Stadium, Hyderabad on Tuesday.

The final lived up to expectations as Odisha struck first to take a 10-0 lead through tries from Manisha Majhi and Ranjulata Naik. Maharashtra responded brilliantly in the second half, scoring two quick tries to level the contest at 10-10. With the title hanging in the balance, Odisha produced the decisive moment of the match, converting scrum possession into the winning try to secure a memorable 15-10 victory and reclaim the Junior Girls' title. It marked Odisha's first Junior Girls' title since 2023, when they also defeated Maharashtra in the final.

The victory marks Odisha's second national title of the season, following their triumph at the Senior National Rugby 7s Championship 2026, underlining the state's continued strength and depth in women's rugby. In the semi-finals, Maharashtra produced a dominant 24-0 win over West Bengal, while Odisha edged defending champions Bihar 10-5 in a closely contested encounter. Bihar responded by defeating West Bengal 36-5 to secure third place.

The championship highlighted the growing standard of age-group rugby in India, with 1,853 points scored across the tournament. Bihar (215 points) finished as the tournament’s highest-scoring team, followed closely by Maharashtra (212) and Odisha (201). Defensively, Bihar and Odisha were equally impressive, conceding just 15 points each throughout the championship.​​​​​​​ Ranjulata Naik starred for Odisha throughout the tournament, finishing as the team's leading scorer with 60 points (10 tries, 5 conversions). The overall top scorer was Bhudiya Namrata Dinesh of Gujarat, who accumulated 70 points (14 tries).