Women's Rugby In India

Most readers would perhaps know about Men's Rugby in India and would have even heard about Rahul Bose, the actor who has represented India in the sport. However, this post is on women's rugby in India. I interviewed Ms.Annapurna Bothate, who represented India in the Asian Games, 2010 and also in the Asia Rugby Women's 7s Tournament at Colombo, Sri Lanka.

The following interview is based on an email interview with her,

Excerpts from the interview

  How did you start playing Rugby?

Since school days I have been a sportswoman. I represented my school in various district meets of kabaddi and handball. Later in college I shifted to weightlifting since the clubs of kabaddi  and handball were very far from my place.  And to simultaneously continue with the junior college it was getting difficult. Thats when I told my dad to take me to a weightlifting coach he knows so that I keep myself busy and just not play in the lanes! With weightlifting happening to me, i represented the 48kg weightlifting category for the Pune district. Here, all thanks to my parents  genetics. My dad was a wrestler and a bodybuilder and my mum a kabaddi player. Coming to Rugby, I was an avid newspaper reader during my  junior college days. This habit helped me to find out that, yes, Rugby is played in India and yes even Pune has a Rugby team which trains at the Pune university grounds. I was curious. I knew a bit about the sport and wanted to know more. But morning college didn’t allow me to go and ask about the Rugby scene.   But as fate would have it,  co-incidentally I had my junior college physical examination at the Pune University ground and that’s where I spotted a bunch of boys and girls spinning the ball around, making runs, dashing into the tackling pads.  Within no time I spoke to the coach and was part of the team immediately. The coach was very welcoming .

2.      Hows Rugby in India for women?

Well if you are to ask me about the Pune Rugby womens team, it is the best in India skills and technique wise. I won’t boast about it but will tell you the reality. Thanks to our coaches, Surhud Khare and Swapneel Khare.

Rugby in India is still developing. It needs to be popularized by making it commercial. Something like the Pro Kabaddi League.  It’s a much more contact sport than Kabaddi and a complete thriller watching the the tackles and the runs.

3.      What else do you do apart from Rugby?

I am a certified personal trainer. I work  with the MultiFit gym,Pune.  I handle clients who want to rehab after an injury like a knee fracture, spine/ lumbar strengthening exercises etc.  My clients include members who want to lose fat and / or gain muscle. I am a Bachelor of Commerce from the Symbiosis institute, Pune.

4.      What are the problems for Rugby in India?

1.      It needs  to be more popularized. This can be done by including Rugby in the school games. Where the kids can participate and carry on during their college time also and maybe get a chance to play for the India squad.

2.      Since people are not aware of Rugby in India, we face problems like sponsorships.

3.      The players  get motivated to play if they have nothing to lose and life is secured at the end. By this I mean, we need government job reservations for players who win a medal even at the national games. There is no reservation as such like the sportspersons of cricket, athletics etc get.

5.      What is the role played by your family?

My family played a major role by always supporting me in the things that I want to do. They never feared that it is a huge contact sport and their daughter should stay away from it. My dad has played a major  role by fearlessly sending me  to kabaddi etc..,thats where I took it him and got in touch with Rugby.

6.      How is the patronage and promotion of Rugby in India?

Initially when I started playing in 2010, the Sports Authority of India backed the game. But that was for the Asian games. After that we have been playing only one international tournament yearly that is the Asian championship sponsored by the World Rugby.  Until last month we had no sponsors but Societe Generale has taken the initiative recently.

2. To promote the game it must be taken to the roots. i.e. at the school level where the PE teachers can teach the kids.  Various sports clubs coaches need to be aware of the fundamentals of Rugby. Colleges must include the sport in the college meets so that the youth takes up the sport. And it is a highly character building sport. It teaches you a hell lot of camaraderie, team-spirit, never giving up attitude even if you get tackled n number of times. And RESPECT to the opponents as well as the Referee unlike football.

To promote: As I mentioned before it needs to get more commercial so that the Association is sponsored as well as the players. Eg., PKL, Indian Super league, badminton league in india, IPL etc..

7.      What are your future plans?

I have always been passionate to join the Indian Army from class 5.  I am a recommended Indian army officer for the 39 course June 2016. But again as fate would have it, I was merit out. So it is my dream to join the Indian army and play for the services team and be in the olive green uniform.

If that doesn’t happen, my backup would be to take the US scholarship to enhance my skills and become the Rugby Development Officer or a coach in India / abroad wherever I get a chance..

8.      What is your message to sportspersons in General?

Get to know the sport in detail. If you know the laws of the game thoroughly, you win the game there itself. Also simultaneously secure yourself by knowing if the sport has a government job reservation. Because I kept thinking that and I had nothing in hand. Motivational quote would be, ‘work hard. Nothing in life comes easy’ eat clean and train like a beast.