Professional career
In 2015, she was silver medalist at the national games held at Kerala. [7]
After the birth of her twin children, Pardeshi returned to competitive rugby and In 2022, she participated in the national games, representing Delhi, and stated an aim to rejoin the Indian national team. [8]
Pardeshi has been acknowledged by Asia Rugby as "one of the pillars of women’s rugby in Asia", and has participated in educational outreach, including explaining rugby’s growth, values, and grassroots expansion to national sports journalists. [9] In that context, she emphasized the sport’s rising presence in schools, under the “Get Into Rugby” movement, and the changing perception of women in the game. [10]
International career
Early debut & longevity Pardeshi made her international debut for the Indian women's rugby sevens team at just 15 years old, playing in the 2009 Asia Rugby Sevens tournament in Thailand. Over a decade later, she remains one of only two female players from Pune still active at the national level. [11]
Pioneering Fifteens & Historic Medal A year after making their 15-a-side international debut, the Indian team earned a bronze medal at the Asian Championship, including a noteworthy victory over Singapore. [12]
2017 Asia Sevens, Laos – Silver Medal As captain, she led India to a silver medal in the 2017 Asia Rugby Women’s Sevens Trophy in Laos, guiding them to five wins before falling to South Korea in the final. She reflected on the team's progress since their first international in 2009. [13]
Grassroots Expansion via Get Into Rugby Pardeshi was instrumental in expanding the sport through Asia Rugby’s Get Into Rugby program, which added 174,000 new players in India in 2018 (40% women) and extended rugby’s reach to 24 states. [14]
Petition for 2018 Asian Games Inclusion As captain, Pardeshi initiated a public petition urging the Indian Olympic Association to allow the women's rugby team to participate in the 2018 Asian Games, despite having met qualification criteria. [15]
Changing Perceptions of Rugby She has challenged widespread stereotypes surrounding rugby, emphasizing that the sport requires strategy, discipline, and safety, rather than aggression. [16]
In February 2017, she was appointed captain of the Indian women's team for the Asian Rugby Sevens tournament in Laos. [2] The team won a silver medal, after winning 5 of 6 matches, before losing the final to South Korea. [1] [17]
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