Rugby unites Central and South Asia in Tashkent
Tashkent recently hosted the CASA Rugby 7s Championship and a series of regional events under the Central & South Asia Rugby Alliance (CASA), bringing together rugby representatives and national teams from across the region.
The initiative marked an important step toward strengthening sporting cooperation among Central and South Asian countries through rugby, cultural exchange, and regional competitions.
Speaking at the event, Benjamin Van Roya, CEO of Asura, described Uzbekistan as a logical starting point for the new regional platform, noting that neighboring countries need more opportunities to compete and cooperate through sport.
According to him, CASA offers a practical opportunity for countries in the region to compete against one another and build stronger sporting connections. He also emphasized that the alliance can foster closer cultural ties, enabling players and supporters to discover new countries, traditions, and people across the region.
Van Roya highlighted that rugby is built not only on competition but also on values such as discipline, respect, integrity, solidarity, and passion. He stressed that these principles are especially important for young and developing rugby nations.
The successful organization of the tournament in Tashkent demonstrated CASA’s growing momentum and reflected a broader effort to promote unity and regional dialogue through sport.
<iframe width="680" height="420" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/g61x6fY6alA" title="Rugby unites Central and South Asia in Tashkent" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin" allowfullscreen></iframe>Musulmon Ziyo, video by Oybek Davronov, UzA
