Pakistan announce squad for inaugural CASA 7s Rugby Championship

LAHORE: The Pakistan Rugby Union (PRU) on Monday unveiled a 10-player squad for the inaugural Central South Asian 7s Rugby Championship, which is scheduled to take place in Tashkent on May 16 and 17.

The players named in the squad are Aamir Shahzad, Anjum Sajjad, Mohsin Raza, Mohammad Aqib Siddiqui, Abbas Bangash, Mohammad Haroon, Faiq Shahzad, Mohammad Afzal, Touqeer Ali and Mohammad Irfan.

According to the PRU announcement, Mohammad Mudassir will lead the side as captain, while Umair Khan has been appointed vice-captain for the tournament. Kashif Khawaja will serve as head coach.

Pakistan will compete alongside Sri Lanka, Mongolia, Kyrgyzstan, India and hosts Uzbekistan in the event, which marks the first edition of the championship.

Regional rugby alliance

PRU secretary Salman Muzaffar Shaikh said the CASA Rugby Alliance had been jointly formed by the rugby unions of Pakistan and India with the aim of promoting rugby across the region.

He said the alliance currently has 11 member nations. In addition to the countries taking part in the Tashkent event, the member list also includes Bangladesh, Nepal, Kazakhstan, Afghanistan and Iran.

Salman described the tournament as a landmark occasion for the regional body. “The alliance currently consists of 11 member nations, including the participating countries alongside Bangladesh, Nepal, Kazakhstan, Afghanistan and Iran,” Salman said.

He added that the competition in Tashkent would be the first Rugby Sevens event staged under the CASA Rugby Alliance. “This event marks the first-ever Rugby Sevens event under the CASA Rugby Alliance,” he said.

The championship will therefore serve as the opening tournament under the alliance framework established by the two neighbouring unions, with six countries set to feature in the first edition.

The PRU’s announcement sets out Pakistan’s travelling combination and leadership group ahead of the two-day event in Uzbekistan, where the side will be part of the opening chapter of a new regional rugby initiative.

With the squad now confirmed, Pakistan are set to take part in a competition that brings together teams from across Central and South Asia under the CASA banner, as the alliance begins its Rugby Sevens programme with its first championship in Tashkent.