Australian women’s rugby sevens suffers major setback on Paris Olympics eve

Australia has suffered a massive setback on the eve of the Paris Olympics with two key players going down with serious injuries, ruling them out of the Games.

The Australian women’s sevens team have suffered a massive setback in the lead-up to the Paris Olympics with two key players ruled out of the biggest event in world sport after suffering serious knee injuries.

One of the favourites to win gold in Paris, the Aussie women will have to make do without vice-captain Madison Ashby and Lily Dick after the pair suffered anterior cruciate ligament injuries during last weekend’s World Series tournament in Singapore.

Madison Ashby is out of the Paris Olympics after injuring her knee during the final of the Singapore Sevens. Picture: Getty Images

Ashby, who was captaining Australia for the first time after regular skipper Charlotte Caslick missed the final leg of the series, went down in excruciating pain after tackling New Zealand’s Jorja Miller in the final.

The Kiwis went on to win the match to deny the Australians the overall series title and the news only got worse when Ashby and Dick were both diagnosed with serious injuries that will prevent them going to Paris.

Ashby and Dick were both part of the Australian squad that won the gold medal at the 2022 Commonwealth Games in Birmingham.

The only bright news for the Aussies is that both Caslick and Sharni Smale, two of the survivors from the Australian team that won the gold medal at the 2016 Rio Olympics, have both been cleared to make their comebacks.

They will be available for the series grand final - for the top eight teams only - taking place in Madrid, eight weeks before the Olympics kicks off.