Rain & shine
AS INDIA’S most-capped and experienced women’s rugby player, Vahbiz Bharucha is no stranger to breaking down barriers. Take her search for an oval ball more than a decade ago. “I went into a sports shop in 2006 with my dad and asked the shopkeeper if I could have a rugby ball,” she says. “He did not know what a rugby ball was, so I deflated a football to make it look like a rugby ball.”
Bharucha is from Pune and a proud Parsi. The Zoroastrian culture is unique and one of the world’s oldest practising religions. Many successful individuals and businesses have come from within the Parsi communities.
So when Bharucha started playing rugby, it took some time for her family and friends to get used to the idea. Bharucha was questioned on her sporting choices, particularly if it clashed with education. “I have had mixed opinions. ‘Why are you playing a man’s sport? Why are you the only girl in the team? You should focus on education, etc’,” she says.
