New Delhi:
Ranked near the bottom among rugby's seven playing nations, the Indian team are rank outsiders at a top class field in the Commonwealth Games but the home squad is gearing up to prove that they can compete at the highest level.
Grouped with Wales, South Africa and Tonga in the October 3-14 mega event, the Indian ruggers have little chance to go beyond the preliminary league round but nonetheless are looking to give their more fancied rivals a run for their money in front of home crowd.
The rugby competition to be held on October 11 and 12 at the Delhi University ground will see some of the best teams in the business in world number one New Zealand, who would look for their fourth Commonwealth Games gold medal on the trot, England, Australia and South Africa.
It would be a tough task for the Indians, ranked 73rd out of 95 rugby playing nations, to even get past the group stage as only one team will make it to the semifinals and South Africa and Wales are both among top sides in the world.
The Indian team though are high on confidence after their recent title triumphs in Istanbul (Istanbul 7s) and England (Bee's International 7s) -- against some of the best club sides in Europe, Middle East and Asia -- and tour to New Zealand in the build-up to the Commonwealth Games.
Skipper Nasser Hussain sought to see the positive side and said they would not be overawed by their fancied opponents. He is rather upbeat that his side has got the chance to measure their strength against the best in the world.
"The top 10 Rugby teams of the world are from Commonwealth countries. So the field is really going to be strong. But we are ready for the challenges and looking for some great rugby action in front of the home crowd," Hussain said.
"Commonwealth Games will bring the best out of all of us. Teams like New Zealand, South Africa, England and others have superior understanding of the game and that shows in their rankings. We all know as a team that there is still a long way to go for us. But we are looking forward to test ourselves against the best in the world. Who knows we can have an upset or two," said Hussain.
"Recent title triumphs in Istanbul and England have boosted our confidence and we know we are improving as individuals and as a unit. We are still learning and the Games will give a big platform for us to learn more. That is important. But of course, winning the last two tournaments has given us the extra confidence.
"Wales and South Africa are formidable sides and it would be quite a herculean task to beat them. But we expect to beat Tonga," said Hussain.
The team has just returned from China after taking part in Shanghai Sevens tournament from September 4-5. The two-day tournament featured top 12 teams of Asia including Japan, Malaysia and Korea, considered as rugby powerhouses in the continent.
In April, as part of their CWG preparation, the Indian rugby team visited Fiji and New Zealand to acquire more in-depth knowledge about the game and identify their strength and weakness.
During their three-week trip, the 23-member contingent met the former champions and legends of the game, visited the world class pitches and fitness professionals and competed in few practice matches against respective national teams.
The team trained with the All Black Sevens and gained valuable knowledge from the revered Gordon Tietjens, who had guided the Kiwis to three gold, since the sport became part of the CWG in 1998 at Kuala Lumpur.
Presently camping in Pune's Balewadi complex, the Indian team are expected to arrive here by September end to train before the mega event begins.
"The field hasn't been up to the mark at the Balewadi complex. It's quite harsh and players usually get injured. But overall the facilities have improved considerably. Even the diet has become better now and we are getting the supplements," Hussain said.
"We have visited the Commonwealth venue and played two Test events there earlier. During Asian Sevens Commonwealth Games test event, we finished fourth losing to Sri Lanka in the semifinals. We have no issues with the ground and facilities. It is really world class," he said.