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Rugby Asian Sevens in Chennai
By Dhurai A.N. Mar 9, 2015
Pre-Qualifier matches of Rugby Asian 7s to 2016 Rio Olympics was a great success in Chennai. It was held at Chennai's Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium on March 7 & 8, 2015. Rugby Sevens is another format to the traditional rugby much like how T20 in cricket is to Test cricket.
Tamil Nadu hosted this pre-qualifying event comprising ten Asian countries. Men's teams were from India, Iran, Guam, South Korea, Philippines and Uzbekistan, while the women's were from India, Iran, Laos, UAE, Uzbekistan.
Rugby is a contact sport, meaning the players are in physical contact throughout the game, unlike cricket or soccer. It has its origins in England around 1840s.
Indian team that played in finals with Iran Photo: Dhurai A.N.
Rugby is a sport not many of us know - we are not familiar with the scoring system or the rules. Rugby is a contact sport that originated in England with the first game played in 1845. There are 15 players on each side. Each try (player grounding the ball on or behind the goal line) carries 5 points. Rugby Sevens is another format of the sport much like how T20 in cricket is to Test cricket. The matches in this format go for 15 minutes with only 7 players on each side. The rules of Rugby Sevens are the same as for Rugby football.
Uzbekistan vs Iran Photo: Dhurai A.N.
The Asian Rugby Seven’s pre-qualifiers for the 2016 Rio Olympics were held at the Jawaharlal Nehru outdoor stadium in Chennai on March 7 and 8, 2015. Of the 31 international teams from Asia, the pre-qualifiers for 10 countries were held here. The winner qualifies for the 2016 Rio Olympics Asian qualifiers.
South Korea vs Iran - Women Photo: Dhurai A.N.
The teams that participated in the women’s category were Uzbekistan, India, Guam, Philippines, South Korea and Iran. In the men’s category, there were Iran, India, Uzbekistan, UAE and Laos. In the development category there were India, Bangladesh, Nepal, South Korea, Shaheen (Iran) and Laos.
India made it to the finals in all three events, but lost in all the respective categories. India A (development) had a spirited display in the final but were beaten by Laos 12-24. In women’s category, India lost to Uzbekistan with a 0-38 drubbing. The men’s final was a keenly contested one. Even though India had beaten higher ranked Iran in the league stage the day before, the Iran players were not about to go home without a fight. India was leading 12-0 at half-time but failed to capitalize on the opportunity. By the end of game time, Iran equalized the score at 12-12. During extra time, Iran scored a winning try assuring itself of a place in the final leg of Olympics qualifiers to be held in Hong Kong later this year.
Guam vs Phillipines - Women Photo: Dhurai A.N.
India vs UAE Photo: Dhurai A.N.
The experience was a treat for Chennai rugby fans who got to watch international rugby players on their own turf. Quite a lot of people also turned up just to find out what this rugby was all about – and were definitely not disappointed with the action and thrill the India-Iran men’s final afforded.
India vs Iran Photo: Dhurai A.N.
India vs Laos Photo: Dhurai A.N.
Curious spectators share their view of this great new event with Deccan Chronicle's reporter Mr. T.N. Raghu. Monday 9 March 2015
Image & text courtesy Deccan Chronicle, Chennai Chronicle, March 9, 2015. ©Copyright DC
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