The Triumph Of Sarah Hirini: From Injury Heartbreak To Olympic Glory
By Mohamed Bahaa
Sarah Hirini, the captain of New Zealand's rugby sevens, has been candid about her emotional journey from a serious knee injury to Olympic gold medal winner. The road was everything but easy; it was filled with suffering, tenacity, and a relentless belief in her dream.
Beginning in December during the SVNS Series in Dubai, Hirini, leading the Black Ferns Sevens, suffered a major knee injury just two games into the season. She was on crutches the next day while her squad battled toward the Cup Final.
Hirini was sidelined with this injury for the whole SVNS Series. At 31, she traveled back to New Zealand and had surgery in Auckland—a crucial step toward the Paris Olympics, which loomed in late July.
Hirini, who was the flagbearer for New Zealand in the Tokyo Games, never gave up hope even with the setback. She said that she clung to "a tiny bit of hope" that her Olympic dreams were still within reach.
In a non-playing role, Hirini accompanied her squad to the early June SVNS Series Grand Final in Madrid. This generated rumors about a possible return, which Team New Zealand later on that month confirmed.
Speaking on SENZ's Afternoons with Staffy, Hirini reflected on her emotional return and said, "I was probably a lot more emotional making the squad than I was winning... the journey I had gone on the past seven months to get to that point – I almost said to myself I can’t lose now, whatever happens."
Hirini made a most remarkable comeback. With a dominant 43-5 triumph over China, she scored a try in the opening game for New Zealand at the Paris Games. With strong victories over Canada and Fiji, the Black Ferns Sevens kept their winning streak intact.
Delivering another resounding victory, 55-5, New Zealand faced China once more in the quarter-finals to guarantee their place in the semi-finals. There they defeated Ilona Maher's USA squad, arranging a gold medal rematch with Canada.
New Zealand triumphed 19-12 in a tight final to ensure their Olympic gold. Hirini's will and leadership helped her side to triumph even though she suffered several facial fractures during the game.
The Black Ferns have been celebrated as national heroes since returning home; Hirini values the chance to present her award to her hometown saying: "It's been a crazy ride."
