Team Goemkarponn
PANAJI: GOA 7s International Rugby Festival Season 3 will bring international rugby action to Goa from October 30 to November 1 at the Sports Authority of Goa Ground in Benaulim. The three day tournament will feature 20 teams competing across the Men’s 7s, Women’s 7s and Mixed Touch categories, with matches scheduled from 9 am to 6 pm.
The festival has expanded from a two day event during its inaugural edition in Margao in 2024 to a three day competition this year. Fifteen of the 20 participating teams will travel from outside Goa, while around 50 Goan players and officials will be involved in the event.
Three international clubs from Qatar, the United Kingdom and Sri Lanka will participate, alongside players representing rugby playing nations including New Zealand, Australia, South Africa, France, Spain, Japan, the United States, Nepal, Papua New Guinea and Russia.
The Men’s 7s competition will feature Crocs RF, BIRD Rugby, Puffins RC, Golden Jackals, Calicut Titans, Mayurbhanj Foundation, Black Archers and Dahod Thunder RC. The Women’s 7s category will see Crocs RF, Mayurbhanj Foundation, Kerala Wolfpack and Dragons RC compete.
The Mixed Touch competition will feature Crocs RF, Hurricane Storm, BTR Broncos, BTR Stormers, CyberX RC, Dragons RC, All Dreams Foundation and Chennai Cubs.
Founded to help revive rugby in Goa following the disruption caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, GOA 7s aims to provide local players with opportunities to compete against strong domestic and international opponents. Goa has participated in national level rugby tournaments annually since 2014 to 2015, with the festival seeking to strengthen the state’s rugby ecosystem and create opportunities for emerging talent.
Crocs RF won the Men’s title in Season 2, defeating Delhi Hurricanes 15 to 10 in the final.
Supported by Goa Tourism and the Goa Arts and Culture Department, the tournament also aims to promote Goa as an international sports tourism destination, attracting visitors and generating opportunities for local businesses.
The organisers also plan to conduct educational workshops for school students, physical education teachers and match officials to support the development of rugby in India. The long term vision is to establish GOA 7s as a leading destination within the international rugby sevens circuit, creating greater opportunities for Goan and Indian players and officials.
