The National Rugby 15s Championship 2026 – Division 1 concluded in thrilling fashion at the Kalinga Stadium, Bhubaneswar, with Delhi Hurricanes successfully defending their title and completing a remarkable hat-trick of championships with a dominant 45-12 victory over Bombay Gymkhana in the Men’s Cup Final.
The Hurricanes once again underlined their status as the premier club side in Indian rugby with an impressive all-round performance. Tries from Neeraj, Pradeep Kumar Tanwar, Mannu Tanwar, Aniket, Abhishek Shukla and Prince Khatri powered the defending champions to victory, while Deepak Kumar Punia added crucial points to guide the Delhi outfit to their third consecutive national title. Bombay Gymkhana fought hard in the final, with Shridhar Shrikant Nigade and Rohit Prakash Kadam getting on the scoresheet, but the Hurricanes’ attacking strength proved decisive.
Earlier in the 3rd Place Playoff, Future Hope Harlequins produced a strong performance to defeat Kalinga Institute of Social Sciences (KISS) 31-12 and secure the bronze medal. Future Hope built steady momentum through the match with Mithun Hazra, Arpan Chhetri and Sheikh Badal among the key contributors, while KISS managed tries through Attma Murmu and Fagun Majhi but could not close the gap.
The day began with the 7th Place Playoff, where Sergeant Institute defeated Rebels RC 19-10 to secure seventh place. Namjan Mundu led the scoring for the Kolkata-based side with two tries, supported by Ankur Sarania and Anupam Bhengra, while Rebels responded through Kevin Pandya and Vinit.
In the Plate Final, Bangalore RC overcame Calcutta Cricket and Football Club (CC&FC) 24-12 to claim fifth place in the tournament. Arvinjit Oinam starred for Bangalore with a standout performance, supported by tries from Akhil A and Subash J, while CC&FC managed replies through Denzil Fredrick Dsilva, Bhupinder Singh and Shuvomoy Brahma.
The closing ceremony and trophy presentation were conducted in the presence of several distinguished dignitaries including Bhupendra Singh Poonia, IAS, Commissioner-cum-Secretary, Department of Sports & Youth Services, Government of Odisha; Bijaya Kumar Swain, OAS, Additional Secretary, Department of Sports & Youth Services, Government of Odisha; Gerald Prabhu, Honorary Secretary, Indian Rugby Football Union; Sashwat Kumar Raut, Officer on Special Duty, Government of Odisha; and Upendra Mohanty, Vice-President, Odisha Rugby Football Association.
Organised by the Indian Rugby Football Union with the support of the Department of Sports and Youth Services, Government of Odisha and the Odisha Rugby Football Association, the National Rugby 15s Championship remains the country’s premier club rugby tournament, bringing together the best teams from across India and strengthening the pathway for players to progress to the national stage.
