India and New Zealand Under-20 rugby series to be played in Rajgir, Bihar
India and New Zealand will contest an Under-20 rugby series at the Rajgir Sports Complex in Nalanda, Bihar, from October 23 to 28 as part of the "100 Years of Unity Through Sport" initiative. The main matches of the series are scheduled for October 27; the visiting New Zealand Under-20 men’s and women’s teams arrived and were given a traditional welcome at Patna airport on October 22, 2026.
The series brings together India’s and New Zealand’s Under-20 men’s and women’s sides to promote cultural exchange alongside competition, organisers said. New Zealand’s touring sides, Tama Toa (men) and Hine Toa (women), comprise a total of 24 young Maori players selected from different regions. New Zealand’s Under-20 teams have travelled to India for the first time for an event of this kind, and players from both countries will take part in joint training sessions during the visit.
According to a Bihar Sports Department official, four rugby sevens matches will be played at the Rajgir Sports Complex on October 27. Those fixtures will include matches between the men’s teams and the women’s teams of India and New Zealand and two mixed matches. The official said players from both countries will form joint teams for the mixed matches and that the initiative aims to promote competition, sportsmanship, cooperation and international friendship.
The selection of seven players from Bihar for the Indian Under-20 men’s and women’s teams was described as a matter of pride for the state. Bajrangi Kumar and Rohit Kumar have been included in the men’s team, while Alpana Kumari, Aarti Kumari, Beauty Kumari and Saloni Kumari have secured places in the women’s team; Sagar Prakash is also part of the Indian contingent. Sagar Prakash, Alpana Kumari and Aarti Kumari previously represented India at the Asia Rugby Emirates Under-20 Sevens Championship held in Bihar in 2025.
Rajgir has hosted major rugby events in recent seasons, including the Asia Rugby Emirates Under-20 Championship in August 2025 and the Senior National Rugby Championship in April 2026. Officials said staging the India–New Zealand series will further highlight Bihar’s sporting infrastructure and its capacity to organise international competitions. The series has been scheduled as part of centenary celebrations of sporting ties between the two nations.
Bihar State Sports Authority Director General-cum-CEO Raveendran Sankaran said hosting the series was a proud occasion for Bihar and Rajgir and that the event would strengthen international sporting relations, encourage cultural exchange and inspire young people in the state to take up Rugby. He added that the state government was committed to providing athletes with better training facilities and more opportunities to compete. Indian Rugby Football Union President Rahul Bose said the completion of 100 years of sporting ties between India and New Zealand was a historic milestone and that playing New Zealand on home soil would give Indian players an opportunity to learn international techniques and improve their understanding of the game; Manu Albert, head of the New Zealand Rugby delegation, expressed enthusiasm about sharing sporting experiences, developing the sevens format and supporting the training of Indian players and coaches.
Training workshops were organised at Kalinga stadium in Bhubaneswar for 35 Indian coaches, with support from New Zealand Rugby coaches in May 2026, officials said, and organisers described the Rajgir series as an important step towards taking that collaboration forward. The India-New Zealand Under-20 Rugby Series runs from October 23 to 28 at the Rajgir Sports Complex, with the principal fixtures scheduled for October 27.
