India-New Zealand U20 Rugby Series Concludes at Rajgir, Bihar

The India-New Zealand Under-20 Rugby Series finished on Tuesday at the Rajgir Sports Complex in Bihar. The series was held under the 100 Years of Unity through Sport initiative, which marks a century of sporting contact between India and New Zealand. Union Minister of State for Youth Affairs and Sports Smt Raksha Khadse spoke on what the series means for sports diplomacy, for giving young players exposure abroad and for cooperation in developing the game.

Who was present

• Shri Samrat Chaudhary, Chief Minister of Bihar
• Smt Raksha Khadse, Union Minister of State for Youth Affairs and Sports
• Ms Shreyasi Singh, Sports Minister in the Government of Bihar
• Shri Matt Ayers, Acting High Commissioner of New Zealand to India
• Shri Sanjay Mayukh, President of the Rugby Football Association of Bihar and a Member of the Bihar Legislative Council
• Mr Rahul Bose, President of Rugby India

What was played

Under-20 men's and women's sides from both countries took part. The programme had joint training sessions, cultural interactions and four Rugby Sevens matches. Two of those were mixed-team matches, played for the first time ever, in which players from the two countries lined up on the same side instead of against each other. The visiting New Zealand group was made up of the Under-20 men's team, Tama Toa, and the Under-20 women's team, Hine Toa, with 24 young Maori players in the squads. Their stay also let them see Indian culture at close hand while sharing their own traditions.

Rugby ties beyond the series

The series builds on growing work between Rugby India and New Zealand Rugby. In May 2026, Rugby India had hosted coaching educators from New Zealand Rugby at the Kalinga Stadium in Bhubaneswar for a coaching development course attended by 35 Indian coaches, aimed at raising coaching standards in the country.

Smt Raksha Khadse said sport is being used as an instrument of soft power and that exchanges of this kind strengthen bilateral relations and build lasting links between young people. Ms Shreyasi Singh called it a matter of pride for Bihar to host the exchange at Rajgir, and Mr Rahul Bose said the mixed-team matches, with Indian and New Zealand players as teammates, were the most meaningful part of the week.