India sevens women's rugby skipper Sheetal Sharma excited for Asian Games debut

A former volleyball and field athlete, she took up rugby in 2016.

This year marked a historic achievement for the Indian women’s national rugby team as they secured their maiden qualification for the upcoming edition of the Hangzhou Asian Games. This momentous accomplishment comes as a result of their remarkable performance in the qualifiers, where they emerged as runners-up, narrowly missing out on the top spot to eventual champions Singapore.

Rugby has been rapidly growing in popularity in the country, with fans looking up to strong teams like New Zealand, South Africa, and Australia.

Reflecting on this exciting journey, Khel Now had the privilege to engage in an exclusive interview with Sheetal Sharma, the captain of the Indian women’s national rugby team.

Introduction to rugby

Hailing from Himachal Pradesh, the player began the conversation by describing her journey into the world of rugby. She reminisced, “I started as a volleyball player after my 12th standard, but then one of my friends told me to pursue individual sports because back then everyone was pursuing individual sport. So, I took up Athletics, competed in 400m races and also qualified for the nationals.

"I have run quite a few marathons but in 2016, I came to know about Delhi Hurricanes Club and from there I was introduced to rugby.”

Thoughts on head coach Ludwiche Van Deventer

Since 2018, the women's team has been under the guidance of Ludwiche Van Deventer, a former South African player. He has played a pivotal role in shaping the team from scratch.

Sheetal highlighted his significance, stating, “Ludwiche sir came in 2018 and has been inspirational ever since. At the start he introduced us to new patterns and strengthened our game. He is the reason why India has won multiple medals recently."

Visible changes in development

When questioned about what are the visible differences from when she started in 2016 to now? Sheetal replied, “In 2016, we were just playing the game out of passion. Back then it was more like we were connected to rugby than anything else. We were representing our state and our country but comparatively now we have new sponsors with us, our training has improved our nutrition has improved. We are given a nutrition goal which is different to everyone which aligns to our team goal.”

Elaborating further, the Indian captain added, “We now have a high-performance center in every state where we develop and upskill ourselves. Also, rugby India pays us during each and every national camp and from there we also get to earn money.

"So now we get full nutrition, follow the diet plan and we do what is necessary which was not the case earlier. Back then we used to play 1-2 tournaments but now from state to national level to international tournaments, we play 10-12 tournaments a year."

Thoughts on Asian Games draw

The Indian women's national rugby team are currently ranked seventh in Asia. In the Asian Games, they have been placed in Pool F, alongside Japan, Hong Kong, and Singapore. On the other hand, Pools A, B, C, and D are designated for the men's teams. The women's teams are accommodated in Pools E and F, with Pool E having three teams and Pool F containing four teams.

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It's important to mention that all the teams in these groups are ranked higher than India. However, Sheetal remains unfazed by this fact. She explains, “We have played Singapore in the past, but we have not played Hong Kong and Japan recently, so we can’t say how the battle will be against them.

"We don’t know their playing pattern, nor they know ours. We will only know who competes well when we play them. If they are new to us, we are also new to them."

Excitement on playing the Continental Games

This will also mark the first time that Indian rugby sevens matches will be televised. Expressing her enthusiasm the captain shared, “I don’t know whether I’ll be captain or not but that doesn’t matter. We are very excited, and we would like to put our best foot forward. We will try to implement what we have learnt.

"The excitement is there. You are representing the nation in such a big tournament in Asian Games. So, there is excitement amongst the players, well-wishers and fans who understand what rugby means."

Realistic expectation and a possibility to increase popularity of rugby

When asked about what the nation can realistically hope for in the upcoming tournament and whether a strong performance might spark enthusiasm among young boys and girls to pick up the sport, Sheetal playfully quipped, “We are not going to China just to participate. In our minds, we have thought that we will give our 101%. Our motive is not to win a gold medal.

"But yes, we will go out there, we will play and give our best performances. If we do well, we will win medal for our country and if we don’t, we will gain a very good experience.”

Her role models in the sport

When it comes to rugby, India's history might not stand as strong as some of the nations in the Oceania region. So, it felt obvious that like most Sheetal's role model in rugby would be a player from those countries. However, she had a different answer. “I am glad you have asked this question. Why would I have a role model from any other country when we have in our home.”

She was referring to Vahbiz Bharucha - former Indian captain, a stalwart in women's rugby. Sheetal added, “We have looked at Vahbiz Bharucha ever since we started playing. The whole team is very close to her and we draw inspiration from her.”

Message for fans and plea to State govts'

Before wrapping up the interview, Sheetal shared a message for all the sports enthusiasts and made a heartfelt plea to the various state governments across the country.

She expressed, “Every sport has got a bit of fame in this country, and we would also like rugby to get the fame. Like every player in other sports, we are also working hard. We attend camps which span up to 50-60 days. We stay away from our families. Our coaches too stay away from their family.

"We just want people to support us because if the sport grows, we will get the sponsorships. Some state Govt like Bihar and Odisha are supporting the athletes by providing them Govt jobs, but we would like every state government to support the athletes.”