Marjon student pushes through serious injury to pursue dream role at Women’s Rugby World Cup

A Plymouth Marjon University student refused to let a severe knee injury derail her ambitions after securing a prestigious media internship at the Women’s Rugby World Cup.

Twenty-year-old journalism student and rugby player Ashleigh Rollins, from South Molton, landed a paid placement with World Rugby in partnership with Women’s Rugby World Cup England 2025. The opportunity allowed her to interview top international players at the Exeter fixtures, all while quietly dealing with a major injury of her own.

Ashleigh, a second-year BA Sports Journalism student, has played rugby since she was 11 for her school, club and county. But in October 2024, she suffered a knee injury that initially went undiagnosed. It was only after slipping and falling again months later that scans revealed the true damage: a ruptured ACL and torn meniscus.

Despite the pain and uncertainty, Ashleigh chose not to give up her coveted World Cup role. She completed the internship while waiting for surgery, spending August and September at Sandy Park, Exeter, before undergoing an operation immediately after the tournament. She now faces a year of rehabilitation but remains determined to return both to journalism and the sport she loves.

“It was incredible being picked for the internship and I was determined nothing would get in my way,” said Ashleigh. “I found myself spending four weeks straight at Sandy Park in Exeter, home of the Exeter Chiefs, watching the games and interviewing some of the biggest names on the planet. And I got paid to do it!

“We had to sit in press conferences, record what the players said on our phones and then transcribe the quotes and send them to the editors. The material would then be sent out by the Rugby News Service and I’d see my work used by the BBC and other national and international media. It was daunting at first as there were other journalists in the room but I quickly gained confidence in asking questions.”

Ashleigh interviewed stars from across the tournament, including Breakthrough Player of the Year Braxton Sorensen-McGee. She was also touched when a Welsh player reached out via Instagram to offer advice after learning about her injury.

Just days after England’s World Cup victory, Ashleigh was recovering at home from surgery when she received further good news. She had been selected as one of only 40 students nationwide to receive a 2025 undergraduate bursary from the Royal Television Society (RTS).

“I actually applied the first time before I started uni and got turned down. But I knew I had a better story to tell now and thought I’d have another go. A couple of days after surgery they called me at home and told me I’d got it, which was incredible,” she said. “The money will help me with transport costs and equipment to do my course. But they also give you an industry mentor and invite you to lots of networking events. Contacts are everything in sports journalism so it’s going to be a huge help with my career.”

Plymouth Marjon University Journalism programme leader Mike Baker said: "We're so proud of Ashleigh and what she's already achieved as a student journalist. She really maximised the opportunity with the Rugby World Cup and it's great to see that rewarded with the RTS scholarship. We've had several students get these awards over the years, and it's great that industry bodies such as the RTS continue to give so much help and support to the next generation of journalists.

"Ashleigh is going to hugely benefit from the contacts and exposure she will get, but we will always push our students to get their names out there and build networks locally and nationally. We're a well-established programme here at Marjon, but it still needs the student to go that extra mile, and Ashleigh is a great example for other students of what can happen if you have the enthusiasm and determination to follow your dreams."

Now back to her studies full time, Ashleigh continues her rehabilitation while keeping her sights firmly set on the future. “It’s been an emotional rollercoaster of a year. I met so many incredible people during the Rugby World Cup internship who I know will help me in my career. I can’t wait to get back on the rugby pitch, but it’s going to be a whole 12 months of therapy before I do that and that’s hard.

“Doing the World Cup and now having the bursary have given me the focus I need to get through the toughest times. It showed that people believe in me, and that I know I’m going to come out the other side.”