Rajgir, April 21: Haryana were crowned the men’s champions at the 13th Senior National Rugby Sevens Championship after registering a hard-fought 17-12 victory over Maharashtra in the final here on Tuesday.
Haryana held their nerve in key moments to edge past Maharashtra, reclaiming the national title after finishing runners-up last year.
Earlier in the day, West Bengal secured the bronze medal with a 26-5 win over Rajasthan in the 3rd place playoff, delivering a composed performance to finish on the podium once again.
The final was a closely contested encounter, with Haryana taking an early lead through Neeraj Khatri. Maharashtra responded through Sunil Chawan, but Mohit Khatri restored Haryana’s advantage soon after.
Individually, Rajan Rawat of Rajasthan finished as the top scorer of the tournament with an impressive 76 points (eight tries and 18 conversions). (PTI)





