Sports journalism student battles through her own rugby injury to women's world cup intern success
A journalism student and rugby player from Plymouth Marjon University put her own painful knee injury to one side to take up the chance of a lifetime as a media intern at the Women’s Rugby World Cup.
Ashleigh Rollins, 20, who comes from South Molton in Devon, secured a paid internship with World Rugby in partnership with Women's Rugby World Cup England 2025, giving her the opportunity to interview the heroes of her favourite sport.
But what no one knew was that while Ashleigh was asking the players about their fitness and injuries, she was secretly battling her own setback.
The second year BA Sports Journalism student has played rugby for her school, local club and county since she was 11 years old. But in October 2024 Ashleigh injured her knee. Initial tests failed to pinpoint the problem, and it wasn’t until she slipped and fell again months later that further scans revealed the full extent: a complete rupture of her anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) and a torn meniscus.
Determined not to miss out on her dream internship Ashleigh put her own pain aside, while she was waiting for a repair operation, to take up the placement at the Exeter-based games of the World Cup in August and September 2025. She underwent surgery immediately after the tournament and is now facing a year of rehab — but she’s determined to return to both the rugby pitch and the press box.
“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.
“I met so many amazing players including the Black Ferns’ Braxton Sorensen-McGee who was awarded Breakthrough Player of the Year at the end of the tournament. The Canadian team, who were eventually in the final, came to Exeter too. But even with the smaller teams like South Africa and Fiji it was amazing seeing their passion for their sport. And one of the Welsh players reached out to me on Instagram after I’d put up a post about my injury. She had the same thing and offered me advice and support.”
Just days before England’s win in the final, Ashleigh was back in hospital for her surgery; she watched their triumph while recovering on her sofa back at home. And it shortly after this that she received another huge career boost: she was picked as one of only 40 students in the country awarded 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. 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."
Ashleigh is now juggling her second-year studies with ongoing rehab, but is enjoying being back at uni full time. “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.”
Want to study journalism at Marjon? Journalism and Literature | Plymouth Marjon University
