Rugby India

{{Short description|Indian sports body}} {{Multiple issues| {{Update|date=October 2022}} {{more citations needed|date=June 2022}} }} {{Use dmy dates|date=June 2022}} {{Use Indian English|date=June 2022}} {{Infobox national rugby union | unionname = Rugby India | nativename = | logo = Rugby India.png | logosize = | founded = {{start date and age|1998}} | IRB = 1999 | region = Asia Rugby | regionyear = 1998 | president = Rahul Bose<ref>{{cite web|title=IRFU Board|url=https://www.indiarugby.com/Home/IRFUBoard|website=Rugby India |access-date=7 January 2022|language=en}}</ref> | coach = Waisale Serevi | womenscoach = Waisale Serevi | countryflag = India | url = {{URL|www.rugbyindia.in}} }} The '''Indian Rugby Football Union''' ('''IRFU'''), also known as '''Rugby India''' is the governing body for sport of rugby union in India.<ref>{{cite web|title=About Us|url=https://indiarugby.com/Home/Profile|website=Rugby India |access-date=1 July 2022|language=en}}</ref> It is headquartered in Mumbai, Maharashtra. The federation was founded in 1998 and it became affiliated to World Rugby in 1999.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://sportstar.thehindu.com/magazine/indian-rugbys-birth-pangs/article29715258.ece|title=Indian rugby’s birth pangs|publisher=Sportstar|date=4 April 2015}}</ref>

Rugby India administers all India national teams: men's, women's, men's sevens and women's sevens. It also manages both U20 national teams.

==History == {{Main|Rugby in india}} Rugby Union in India dates back to a scratch match or two played in Kolkata and Madras during the visit of MS Galatea in 1871. The first recorded match was played on Christmas Day 1872, at CFC Ground in Kolkata, it was played between England and a combined team of Scotland, Ireland and Wales.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Union |first=Indian Rugby Football |title=Indian Rugby Football Union |url=https://indiarugby.com/ |access-date=2024-07-01 |website=indiarugby.com |language=en}}</ref>

In 1998 the India Rugby Football Union was founded and in 1999 the IFRU gained association from the International Rugby Board. In March 2019, former South African player Naas Botha became coach of national team. He accepted the job for short term.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.espn.in/rugby/story/_/id/26405134/naas-botha-accepts-coaching-position-india | title=Naas Botha accepts coaching position with India | date=31 March 2019 }}</ref> Rugby India (RI) organised Asian under 18 tournament in 2018 at Kalinga Stadium, Bhubaneswar, Odisha. In the tournament 14 nations participated and India finished on 4th position.<ref name=ANI>{{cite web | url=https://www.aninews.in/news/sports/others/indian-rugby-team-partners-with-odisha-govt-kiit-to-support-high-performance-program20210828224431/ | title=Indian Rugby team partners with Odisha govt, KIIT to support high-performance program }}</ref> Rugby India was founded in 1998. It is sole governing body for rugby in India. It is recognized by Sports ministry of India and affiliated to the World Rugby, the international governing body of the sport in the world.<ref name=I>{{cite web | url=https://indiarugby.com/Home/Sponsors | title=Indian Rugby Football Union }}</ref>

==State associations== State Associations affiliated with the IRFU.<ref>{{cite web |title=State Associations affiliated with IRFU |url=https://rugbyindia.in/state-associations/ |website=Rugby India |access-date=25 April 2024 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=IRFU List of Members |url=https://rugbyindia.in/wp-content/uploads/IRFU-List-of-Members.pdf |website=Rugby India |access-date=25 April 2024 }}</ref>

===State/UT members=== {| class="wikitable sortable" ! No. !! Association !! State/UT !! Reg. year |- | 1 || Rugby Football Association Andaman Nicobar || Andaman and Nicobar Islands || 2021 |- | 2 || Andhra Pradesh Rugby Association || Andhra Pradesh || 2016 |- | 3 || Rugby Association of Assam || Assam || 2006 |- | 4 || Rugby Football Association of Bihar || Bihar || 2017 |- | 5 || Chandigarh Rugby Football Association || Chandigarh || 2001 |- | 6 || Chhattisgarh Rugby Football Association || Chhattisgarh || 2004 |- | 7 || Rugby Association of Dadra & Nagar Haveli and Daman & Diu || Dadra & Nagar Haveli and Daman & Diu || 2024 |- | 8 || Rugby Association of Delhi || Delhi || 2019 |- | 9 || Goa Rugby Union || Goa || 2018 |- | 10 || Rugby Football Association of Gujarat || Gujarat || 2015 |- | 11 || Haryana State Rugby Football Association || Haryana || 2009 |- | 12 || Himachal Pradesh Rugby Association || Himachal Pradesh || 2025 |- | 13 || Jammu & Kashmir Rugby Association || Jammu and Kashmir || 2021 |- | 14 || Jharkhand Rugby football Association || Jharkhand || 2022 |- | 15 || Karnataka Rugby Football Union || Karnataka || 2006 |- | 16 || State Rugby Association – Kerala || Kerala || 2015 |- | 17 || Rugby Football Association – Madhya Pradesh || Madhya Pradesh || 2020 |- | 18 || Rugby Association of Maharashtra || Maharashtra || 2010 |- | 19 || Amateur Rugby Association of Manipur || Manipur || 2001 |- | 20 || Odisha Rugby Football Association || Odisha || 1998 |- | 21 || Puducherry Amateur Rugby Football Association || Puducherry || 2018 |- | 22 || Rugby Association – Punjab || Punjab || 2015 |- | 23 || Rajasthan Rugby Association || Rajasthan || 2023 |- | 24 || Tamil Nadu Rugby Football Union || Tamil Nadu || 2000 |- | 25 || Telangana Rugby Association || Telangana || 2017 |- | 26 || Rugby Football Association Uttar Pradesh || Uttar Pradesh || 2022 |- | 27 || Uttarakhand Rugby Association || Uttarakhand || 2021 |- | 28 || Bengal Rugby-Football Union || West Bengal || 2001 |}

===Other members=== {| class="wikitable sortable" ! No. !! Association !! Department !! President |- | 1 || Services Sports Control Board || Indian Armed Forces || Dinesh Suri |}

==Coaching staff== * Head coach: Waisale Serevi<ref>{{Cite web |title=Waisale Serevi appointed head coach of Indian rugby sevens teams|url=https://olympics.com/en/news/waisale-serevi-new-india-rugby-sevens-head-coach |access-date=2024-06-20 |website=www.olympics.com}}</ref> * Strength and conditioning coach: Kiano Fourie * Team Analyst: Fhatuwani Rasivhenge * Physiotherapist: Wahid Khan, Lizanne Paes

==See also== {{Portal bar|India|Sports}} * Rugby union in India * History of rugby union * Sport in India * All India & South Asia Rugby Tournament

==References== {{reflist}}

==Further reading== *{{cite web|url=https://indiarugby.com/Home/Clubs|title=India Rugby Football Union — Member Clubs|website=indiarugby.com|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210803043156/https://indiarugby.com/Home/Clubs|archive-date=3 August 2021|access-date=8 August 2024}}

==External links== * {{official website|http://www.rugbyindia.in/}}

Category:Rugby union in India Category:Sports governing bodies in India Category:Rugby football governing bodies in India Category:Organisations based in Maharashtra Category:Rugby union governing bodies in Asia Category:Sports organizations established in 1998 Category:1998 establishments in Maharashtra Category:Organisations based in Mumbai