U-18 girls impress on Day 1 as international rugby ‘returns to play’ in Asia

Asia Rugby kicked off the U-18 Girls Rugby 7s Championship with an exciting opener between hosts Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan that saw the latter secure a 26-0 victory.

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Round 1 Summary: Captains lead from the front
Kazakhstan impressed in their opening campaign against Uzbekistan after a confident 26-0 first-round victory. A strong Kazakh side stuck to their game-plan right from kick-off and dismantled Uzbekistan’s defence with brilliant runs from the outside wings. Anzhelika Pichugina of Kazakhstan pocketed one try and three successful conversions for her team.

The second match was a one-sided affair as UAE dominated Kyrgyzstan 55-0 till the final hooter. Captain Camela Morrall displayed superior leadership skills as she ensured the ball travelled well and stepped up to hit the gaps in times of need. Out of a whopping seven tries and six conversions, the skipper scored four and converted all.

Round 2 Summary: Close encounters
After an easy first-round victory, Kazakhstan’s prowess was challenged by the mighty Indian side. Even as the opening try came from India’s no.5 Nandini, it was the Kazakhs who had their last laugh with a 12-10 victory. With nothing to separate the two teams, Kazakhstan’s tight defence along with clean passes in the deep sealed the deal.

Inversely, what seemed to be another one-sided match for the UAE turned out to be an absolute thriller against Uzbekistan. The hosts came back stronger since their previous loss and not only denied the UAE another landslide win, but also spoiled the party by pocketing a slim 7-5 home-ground victory. A try and a conversion by Ainura Abzieva saved the day for the Uzbeks.

Round 3: Raining tries in Tashkent
India approached their second game against Kyrgyzstan with an intent to deliver and to stop at nothing but the try-line. An almost indomitable Indian side refused to be tackled down by their opponents and registered the highest try-scoring match of the day with a total of 11 tries, including three from Vashnavi Patil alone. The final score stood at 63-0.

In a battle of equals between UAE and Kazakhstan, the former winning the match

Day 1 concluded with a final match between India and Uzbekistan that tilted in the former’s favour with an impressive 20-5 scoreline.

Day 2 is set to witness the remainder of Round 4 and Round 5 matches, which will either solidify or change the current rankings. Knock-out, third-place and final matches will be played in the second session of the day

Day 2 will be live-streamed :
Asia Rugby Live