Charlotte Caslick’s aspirations for the 2025 Rugby World Cup have been significantly impacted by an ankle injury, leaving her out of the competition. The accomplished rugby sevens Olympic gold medallist sustained a syndesmosis injury while competing against the Black Ferns in Wellington last month, which required surgical intervention.
Initially, there was hope that Caslick would recover in time to participate in a pivotal match against the United States during the pool stages. However, she has now been ruled out of World Cup selection. Although named in the Australian squad, she will not travel to England with her teammates on Monday but will instead remain in Australia to focus on a swift rehabilitation process.
In light of her absence, uncapped Wallaroos centre Manu’a Moleka has been called up to join the squad. Moleka’s addition creates the potential for Caslick to return as an injury replacement if needed later in the tournament, yet as it stands, she will not feature unless there are specific injury-related requirements within the squad.
Wallaroos coach Jo Yapp expressed disappointment over losing Caslick so close to the World Cup, acknowledging her dedication to the team throughout the year. Yapp indicated that fresh medical advice led to the decision to allow Caslick to pursue a comprehensive recovery plan, making her a possible candidate for future games if the situation arises.
The Wallaroos must now navigate their opening pool matches against Samoa, the United States, and England, needing at least two wins to advance to the knockout stages. Caslick’s absence poses a formidable challenge for the team, as she had transitioned from the sevens format to focus entirely on XVs in hopes of featuring in this prestigious tournament.
The Wallaroos’ first match against Samoa is scheduled for Saturday, August 23, at 9 PM AEDT. The team’s prospects have undoubtedly been affected by Caslick’s injury, and fans will be eagerly watching to see how the squad adapts in her absence.