GOA 7s Season 3 to Bring International Rugby Action to Benaulim

GOA 7s Season 3 to Bring International Rugby Action to Benaulim

PANAJI: GOA 7s – International Rugby Festival (Season 3) will take place from October 30 to November 1 at the SAG Ground in Benaulim from 9am – 6pm, bringing together 20 teams across the Men’s 7s, Women’s 7s and Mixed Touch categories for three days of competitive rugby.

The tournament has expanded from two days to three since its inception in Margao in 2024, with 15 of this year’s 20 teams travelling from outside Goa. Around 50 goan players and officials will be participating as well.

Three international clubs will participate, with teams arriving from Qatar, the United Kingdom and Sri Lanka. The competition will also feature players from rugby-playing nations including New Zealand, Australia, Sri Lanka, USA, United Kingdom, South Africa, Spain, France, Japan, Nepal, Papa New Guinea and Russia.

“This is our biggest edition yet, with more teams, more matches and a stronger international presence. We expect the competition to be our most challenging yet due to higher number of international teams & players in the mix. We are also organising various Educational Workshops for School Students, Physical Education Teachers and Match Officials which will help strengthen the workforce to develop Rugby India.” said Brandan Crasto, founder of Goa 7s and president of the Crocs Rugby Foundation.

The Men’s 7s category will feature Crocs RF (US, Aus, NZ, Nepal & India), BIRD Rugby (UK & India), Puffins RC (Sri Lanka) Golden Jackals, Calicut Titans, Mayurbhanj Fdn, Black Archers and Dahod Thunder RC. The Women’s 7s competition will feature Crocs RF, Mayurbhanj Fdn, Kerala Wolfpack and Dragons RC, while the Mixed Touch category will see Crocs RF, Hurricane Storm, BTR Broncos, BTR Stormers, CyberX RC, Dragons RC, All Dreams Fdn and Chennai Cubs compete.

Established to help revive rugby in Goa following the disruption caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, Goa 7s provides local players with an opportunity to compete against strong domestic and international opposition. Goa has been annually participating in National-level rugby tournaments since 2014–15, and the tournament aims to strengthen the state’s rugby ecosystem and create pathways for emerging players. Crocs RF won the Men’s title in Season 2, defeating Delhi Hurricanes 15–10 in the final.

Supported by Goa Tourism and the Goa Arts & Culture Department, the tournament also seeks to promote Goa as an international sports tourism destination, attracting visitors, supporting local businesses and boosting the state economy.

“Rugby sevens is an Olympic format whose speed and intensity make it exciting for both established fans and new audiences. Our long-term vision is to establish GOA 7s as one of the premier destinations in the HSBC 7s World Rugby Series which will create greater opportunities for Goan & Indian players and officials to grow through this platform” Crasto added.