Madison Ashby reveals support from NZ star before 573-day SVNS return

Madison Ashby “did a lot to my knee… everything but my meniscus” in a SVNS Singapore Cup Final defeat to New Zealand on May 5, 2024. More than 570 days later, Ashby will return to the HSBC SVNS after missing the entire 2024/25 season and the Paris Olympic Games.

Australia Sevens announced last week that Ashby would share captaincy duties with Isabella Nasser this season, before the playmaker was officially named in the touring squad for upcoming stops in Dubai and Cape Town.

Ashby walked out of the team’s gym session on Thursday afternoon before sitting down on a couch at Rugby Australia’s headquarters, wearing a gleaming grin – the face of an athlete who’s worked tirelessly for a long-awaited opportunity to represent her nation yet again.

There’s a scar on the 24-year-old’s knee, marking the anguish of very real pain felt on the turf at Singapore’s National Stadium. One year, six months and 24 dasy ago, Ashby’s Olympic dream came to a hearbtreaking end against Australia’s greatest rival.

New Zealand had been without Shiray Kaka in the big dance, who had been in some stellar form after returning to the SVNS Series in Vancouver. Kaka had sustained an Olympics-ending injury earlier on at SVNS Singapore, and later proved to be “a very good support system” for Ashby.

“When I got injured, she ran out onto the field, onto the sideline, when I was sitting down and gave me a hug from behind,” Ashby told RugbyPass.

“She messaged me a couple of times after that to see how I was going, see how I was holding up.

“I took a lot of confidence from her. I get she’s from over the ditch and it’s the New Zealand and Australia rivalry, but at the end of the day, we’re all athletes, we all understand injuries and how hard it is to go through, especially just before the Olympics.”

Ashby had captained Australia for the first time in Singapore, making it an event that despite the pain, continues to hold a special place in her heart. “Singapore is probably one of my favourite tournaments,” she exclaimed, “one of the highlights of my career.”

Australia flew through pool play with an unbeaten run of three wins from as many matches, finishing with a +121 points differential. After beating Ireland 24-14 and France 19-12, they prepared to face New Zealand for much more than just bragging rights.

Both the SVNS Singapore and SVNS League titles were on the line.

It was winner-takes-all.

“Playing in the team for so long and getting to captain it and lead the girls out onto the field, it was so exciting,” Ashby reflected.

“I felt like I was flying and I was ready for the Olympics and that was all that was on my mind. Unfortunately, I did get injured in the grand final and everything came to a stop. It’s been a hard rehab process to get back to now.

“I missed out all of last season. Missing out on the Olympics and getting told you’re coming back throughout the season but then getting setbacks because of how traumatic my knee injury was, it was tough.

“I’m fortunate. I had good coaching staff, good medical staff and just a good bunch of girls around me. Yes they’re my teammates, but at the end of the day, some of them are the closest friends I have off the field.”

Team Australia announced their Olympic team less than two months after Singapore, with those selected unveiled to media at Restaurant Hubert in Sydney CBD. Ashby was sent down to Canberra to train with other injured athletes at the AIS, who had also missed out on the Games.

Australia went on to win a fifth consecutive Dubai Sevens title to start the new SVNS Series, with rising stars shining bright throughout the campaign. Mackenzie Davis was named Rugby Australia’s Junior Women’s Player of the Year, having enjoyed a breakout rookie season.

Piper Simons and Amahli Hala were a couple of other debutants, while Heidi Dennis was awarded Player of the Final honours as a teenager in Perth. There was a new-look feel about the Australia Sevens Women’s side last season, with Ashby unable to steer the ship at halfback.

Ashby was on track to return at SVNS Singapore last season – with the Australian seeing the irony in that, back at the scene of her devastating injury – but it was a false start. The Tokyo Olympian missed the entire season.

After returning to competitive sevens at Rugby Australia’s NextGen Sevens this year, and later international SVNS warm-up matches in Toowoomba and Tauranga, Ashby is officially primed to return.

The fast-footed sevens ace is in Dubai, just days away from a comeback to the Series.

Ashby will captain Australia for the second time, this time as a co-skipper alongside Nasser, and the returning superstar couldn’t be more excited. “I feel like it’s a debut tournament for me,” but she boasts supreme confidence as well.

“I still have that natural competitive nature. I don’t like losing, I don’t ever want to lose,” Ashby added.

“I’m excited but I am nervous, especially because it’s going to be the first – and it feels like I’m re-debuting again.

“Even though I’m co-captaining with Bella this tournament, I’ve just got to keep reminding myself I do have a lot of experience. I’m put in this position for a reason. My coaches wouldn’t put me here if they didn’t think I’m ready.”