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Priyanka Chowdhury – women’s rugby’s beacon of hope in the city of joy
Bhubhaneswar is all set to host the National Division 1 15’s Rugby tournament from 29th January to 4th February 2023. The tournament is organized by the National Rugby Federation and shall feature the Top 8 Women’s Rugby Teams from across India.
15’s Rugby across the world is played club-wise.
CC&FC from Kolkata shall be playing in the tournament and are currently ranked 4th in India in Division 1.
Led by the redoubtable Priyanka Choudhury, who at the age of 36 years and a mother of a 14-year-old daughter, is breaking the glass ceilings and setting benchmarks and is playing the sport for the past 7 years. In her words, ” I am keen to popularise lesser known sports like Rugby, Swimming, Equestrian among girls/women and despite all odds and obstacles I am trying my best and working day and night for the interest of Bengal and its sportsmen/women.
It has been a tough fight having to cater to the demands of being a hands-on mother and supporting the game of rugby. Breaking away from the stereotype of motherhood, Priyanka showed the way by handling the role of being a mother and a Rugby player and excelled in both. She says, ” I am ready to fight the battle to establish the sport in the mainstream and have set up a committee through social media platforms. I have overcome every possible obstacle and endured hardship but it was my love and dedication for the game of Rugby that saw me overcome a serious leg injury which had not only kept me out of the game for a prolonged period but also mentally completely demoralized me. My mental strength was a key factor in my comeback on the Rugby grounds. But this return was not only for me but also for future generations of Rugby players. In this patriarchal society, most of the time a woman’s desires, dreams and ambitions are suppressed and I had to break the barrier I had to take forward this battle to empower women and my battlefield was the Rugby ground.”
The British had established the Calcutta Cricket Club in 1792 and after Independence; it was rechristened as Calcutta Cricket & Football Club (CC & FC). The club actively promotes several sports as Rugby, Hockey, Swimming, and Tennis among the future generation and Priyanka is a torchbearer of this initiative which will be reflected in all its splendor and glory at the forthcoming Bhubaneswar Nationals beginning 29th January.
