Australia Sevens have made a major management announcement forward of the 2025/26 HSBC SVNS Sequence opener, revealing Madison Ashby will return to the worldwide sevens circuit as a co-captain of the powerhouse girls’s aspect.
Ashby had a style of the captaincy mere months out from the Paris Olympic Video games, however suffered a season-ending ACL damage whereas main the workforce in Singapore. The 24-year-old missed all the marketing campaign in 2024/25 however is ready to return this season.
Rugby Australia introduced final November that Isabella Nasser had taken over management duties from three-time Olympian Charlotte Caslick. Nasser will proceed within the position alongside Ashby, co-captaining a aspect that harbours title-winning ambitions on the Sequence.
Information.com.au revealed a narrative in 2014 {that a} 13-year-old Ashby hoped to play sevens on the 2016 Rio Olympics. Whereas Ashby didn’t characterize Australia at these Video games, the playmaker was chosen to compete on the postponed Tokyo Olympics in 2021.
Ashby debuted for Australia on what’s now generally known as the SVNS Sequence as a youngster in 2019, and reached the 25-tournament mark final 12 months. After lacking a complete 2024/25 season, Ashby’s return is important because the Australians look to defend their title in Dubai on November 29-30.
“It makes me extraordinarily proud to have the ability to co-captain particularly alongside Bella Nasser, who was superb final season on her personal,” Ashby mentioned in a press release.
“Placing on an Australian jersey is one thing you must cherish each second with, not to mention with the ability to captain a workforce so I’m very honoured.
“It’s top-of-the-line experiences you’ll be able to ever have on the sporting subject. I’m nonetheless studying and the gamers will assist me however very excited to see what’s forward.”
Australia Girls’s coach Tim Walsh added: “Madi entered the world stage at a really early age and has developed 12 months on 12 months.
“She has skilled the triumphs and disasters {of professional} sport.
“All through her profession she has collected technical abilities, expertise and rugby knowledge past her years.
“Getting back from a prolonged time on the sideline, Madi, with present co-captain Bella Nasser are poised to steer this workforce into the brand new period of Australian girls’s rugby.”
Australia Sevens have introduced that Ethan McFarland has joined the lads’s program for the upcoming season. The Queenslander excelled in Queensland’s Hospital Cup and impressed throughout current trails with the sevens aspect.
Rugby Australia introduced the ladies’s and males’s squads earlier this month. It’s confirmed that Dally Chook, Matt Gonzalez, Sid Harvey, Connor Hickey, Henry Palmer and Hayden Sargeant had departed the lads’s program.
“Ethan impressed the teaching employees after lately trialling with the squad,” Sevens Nationwide Efficiency Supervisor Scott Bowen defined.
“He brings a mixture of velocity and energy and can complement the gamers round him all through the upcoming season.”
Ashby and Nasser will lead the ladies’s aspect in pool matches in opposition to Japan, Canada and Nice Britain on the Dubai Sevens. As for the lads’s aspect, they’ve been pitted in opposition to rivals New Zealand, in addition to giant-slayers Spain and Nice Britain.
Dubai is the primary cease of the 2025/26 season. Cape City, Singapore, Perth, Vancouver and the USA will host different regular-season occasions earlier than the new-look World Championships. The season finale occasions will probably be in Hong Kong China, Valladolid and Bordeaux.
