Nepal to Host Asia's Largest Rugby Tournament
Asian nations will compete in two categories: Men's and Women's Rugby Sevens. This marks the first time Nepal will host an Asian-level senior rugby tournament
Samrat Timalsina
kathmandu | Nepal is set to host the Asia Emirates Rugby Sevens Trophy, one of the biggest rugby competitions in Asia. Organised by Asia Rugby and managed by the Nepal Rugby Association, the tournament will take place on October 4 and 5 at Dasharath Stadium, Tripureshwor.
Seventeen Asian nations will compete in two categories: Men's and Women's Rugby Sevens. This marks the first time Nepal will host an Asian-level senior rugby tournament. Previously, Nepal successfully hosted the Asia Rugby U-18 competition in 2022 and the Asia U-20 Rugby in 2023.
Following these successful events, the Nepal Rugby Association is now gearing up for its biggest event yet. According to Deepak Devkota, President of the Nepal Rugby Association, 14 men’s teams and 8 women’s teams, including the host nation Nepal, will participate. Devkota remarked, “This is the largest Asian rugby event ever held in Nepal. Besides the sport, we expect it to boost tourism in Nepal.” Over 450 players and officials from Asia are expected to attend.
The winners in both the men’s and women’s categories will receive the Asia Rugby Trophy along with gold medals. The runners-up will be awarded silver, and third-place teams will receive bronze medals. Strong teams from across Asia are expected to participate in the two-day event.
In the men's category, teams from Afghanistan, Bahrain, Bangladesh, Chinese Taipei, India, Jordan, Kazakhstan, Nepal, Pakistan, Philippines, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Sri Lanka, and Uzbekistan will compete. The women’s competition will feature teams from Nepal, Guam, India, Indonesia, Iran, Philippines, Sri Lanka, and Uzbekistan.
Originally, two separate tournaments, the Asia Rugby Sevens Challenge and the Asia Rugby Sevens Trophy, were planned. However, after some teams withdrew, both events were merged to make the competition more competitive. This led to the men's team count increasing from 12 to 14.
This tournament also serves as a qualifier for the 2025 Asia Rugby Sevens Series. The winners of the Kathmandu tournament will secure a spot in the 2025 series, making the competition even more intense.
Asia Rugby President Qais Al Dhalai expressed his excitement about watching the Asia Rugby Sevens Trophy in Kathmandu, saying, "This is a major event for Nepal rugby, as it’s the first time a senior-level rugby competition is being held here. Nepal has successfully hosted two age-group tournaments before, and we’re thrilled to be back."
The tournament will also act as a qualifier for the World Rugby Sevens Series. The Nepal Rugby Association estimates that organising the event will cost around NPR 28 million. Secretary General of the association, Govinda Ghimire, stated that after gaining full membership in World Rugby, the association has been advancing its activities effectively. He believes that hosting Asia's biggest rugby competition will greatly contribute to the growth of sports tourism in Nepal.
