Sumit Kumar Roy and his rugby journey from the streets of Kolkata to international stages: a 20-year-old forward who captained India twice, won gold at nationals, competed at Coral Coast 7s in Fiji, and became the highest bidder at RPL Auction, proving rugby can transform any life.
Sumit Kumar Roy: From Kolkata’s Streets to International Stages
Sumit Kumar Roy is not just a rugby player. He is a story. A 20-year-old forward from Kolkata, West Bengal, Sumit Kumar Roy has built a sporting career that has taken him from the grounds of his hometown to rugby pitches in Nepal, Taiwan, Fiji, Oman, and Uzbekistan. At just 20 years old, Sumit Kumar Roy has already lived a sporting life that most athletes only dream about.
A Family That Made Everything Possible
Sumit Kumar Roy was born on 23 September 2005 in Kolkata, West Bengal. He currently studies at George College in Kolkata. His father, Santosh Kumar Roy, works as a bus driver. His mother, Rinku Roy, is a homemaker. He has one elder sister and one younger brother, both of whom are currently pursuing their studies.
The Sumit Kumar Roy story begins here, not on a grand pitch with professional coaches and world-class facilities, but in a home where every rupee was earned with effort and every opportunity had to be chased with both hands. The foundation of discipline, humility, and hard work that defines Sumit Kumar Roy on the rugby field was built first in this family, long before he ever touched a ball.
The Jersey That Started It All
When Sumit Kumar Roy was just 10 years old, he saw a friend wearing a rugby jersey. Curious, he asked how he could get one too. His friend told him to come along the next day; they were going to play a new game, and they would get food and a jersey. That simple invitation changed the course of Sumit Kumar Roy’s life forever.
That day, some of his senior rugby players introduced him to Khelo Rugby. And that is where the Sumit Kumar Roy journey truly began.
Khelo Rugby, run by Future Hope, did not just teach Sumit Kumar Roy the rules of the game. It gave him structure, mentorship, and a community that believed in his potential before he fully believed in it himself. Through the programme’s philosophy of growing up with rugby, Sumit Kumar Roy also learned to give back, helping other children in his community learn the game the same way his seniors had once helped him.
Khelo Rugby also helped Sumit Kumar Roy earn a scholarship, opening doors that a bus driver’s son from Kolkata might never have found on his own. That scholarship was not just financial support. It was a signal that the world was beginning to take notice of what Sumit Kumar Roy was capable of.
The Player on the Field
Ask Sumit Kumar Roy about his favourite position, and he answers with the confidence of someone who knows exactly who he is on the pitch. He loves playing as a strong, smart Forward, and always in the heart of the action. He also plays Centre, bringing versatility and tactical awareness to every game he steps into.
Sumit Kumar Roy’s style is built on physicality, intelligence, and a refusal to back down. Those qualities did not come from a coaching manual. They came from years of playing with hunger, learning from every match, and competing against opponents who were often older, bigger, and more experienced.
A Trophy Cabinet That Speaks for Itself
The achievements of Sumit Kumar Roy are remarkable for someone who is only 20 years old. Here is a look at everything he has accomplished:
In 2022, Sumit Kumar Roy won a bronze medal at the U-18 Junior National Rugby 7s Championship in Patna, Bihar, and finished 4th at the U-18 Asia Rugby 7s Championship in Kathmandu, Nepal.
In 2023, Sumit Kumar Roy won a silver medal at the National Rugby 15s Div 1 in Bhubaneswar, Odisha, finished 5th at the U-18 Junior National Rugby 7s Championship in Pune, Maharashtra, represented India as Captain for the first time at the U-18 Asia Rugby 7s Championship in Chinese Taipei, Taiwan where his team finished 4th, and competed at the 37th National Games in Goa finishing 4th.
In 2024, Sumit Kumar Roy won a silver medal at the Men’s National Rugby 7s Championship in Pune, Maharashtra, and competed at the Asia Rugby Men’s 7s Trophy in Kathmandu, Nepal.
In 2025, the Sumit Kumar Roy story reached extraordinary new heights. He won a gold medal at the Men’s National Rugby 7s Championship in Guwahati, Assam. He won bronze representing Hyderabad Heroes at the 1st Inaugural RPL 7s in Mumbai, Maharashtra. He captained India for the second time at the Asia Rugby Emirates U-20 7s Championship in Rajgir, Bihar. He won gold at the Calcutta Cup 15s in Kolkata, West Bengal. He won silver at the Asia Rugby Emirates 7s Men’s Trophy in Muscat, Oman. He won bronze at the Bombay Gymkhana International Rugby 10s. And he competed at the 38th National Games in Uttarakhand.
In 2026, Sumit Kumar Roy continued his upward trajectory. He won bronze at the National Rugby 15s Div 1 Championship in Odisha, bronze at the Senior National Rugby 7s Championship in Rajgir, Bihar, and silver at the Central and South Asia Championship in Tashkent, Uzbekistan.
Experiences That Shaped a Champion
Beyond the medals and the titles, two experiences stand out as defining moments in the Sumit Kumar Roy journey.
The first was playing in the RPL for Hyderabad Heroes, his first experience sharing a field with legendary players from around the world. It was the moment Sumit Kumar Roy truly understood what the highest level of the game looks like, feels like, and demands from those who play it.
The second was competing at the Coral Coast 7s in Fiji, one of the most prestigious tournaments in world rugby. That experience transformed Sumit Kumar Roy in ways that no domestic competition ever could. He learned how to respect others and value time. He observed how professional players live and how they carry themselves. And he internalized the most important lesson of his sporting life: never give up in any situation.
These are not lessons you can teach in a classroom or a coaching session. They are lessons earned on the grandest stages, against the best competition, under the most intense pressure. And Sumit Kumar Roy earned every single one of them.
The RPL Auction Moment
One of the proudest moments in the Sumit Kumar Roy journey came when he became the highest bidder at the RPL Auction. It was not just a personal achievement. It was a moment that made his entire family proud, brought joy to his friends, and filled his Khelo Rugby family with the kind of happiness that comes from watching someone you believed in early prove the whole world right.
For the boy who once asked a friend how to get a rugby jersey, becoming the highest-bid player at a professional rugby auction is the kind of full-circle moment that stories are made of.
What Comes Next
He is 20 years old. He has already captained India twice, competed on four continents, won gold at the national level, and stood on one of rugby’s most celebrated international stages. And yet, the Sumit Kumar Roy story feels like it is only just getting started.
The hunger is still there. The discipline is still there. And the boy from Kolkata who chased a jersey at the age of 10 is now chasing something far bigger: a future where Sumit Kumar Roy represents India at the highest level of the game and carries with him the values, the sacrifices, and the love of every person who believed in him along the way.
He is not just a player profile. He is a reminder that the greatest journeys often begin with the smallest invitations: a friend, a jersey, and the courage to show up and see what you are made of.
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