Sarah Hirini reflects on ‘emotional’ injury-plagued journey to Olympic gold

New Zealand sevens captain Sarah Hirini has reflected on her journey from injury disaster in Dubai to another gold medal at an Olympics. It was a gruelling eight-month process that involved plenty of pain, sacrifice and resilience, but it was all worth it in the end.

Less than two full matches into the new SVNS Series season last December, the Black Ferns Sevens skipper suffered a devastating knee injury in Dubai. Hirini was on crutches the next day as her New Zealand teammates continued their charge towards the Cup Final.

Hirini was ruled out of the entire SVNS Series season with the injury. The now 31-year-old returned home to New Zealand from the UAE and had surgery in Auckland, which was an important milestone on the road towards the Paris Games in late July.

The Tokyo Games gold medallist, who received the honour of being one of New Zealand’s flagbearers at that event, recently told RugbyPass that she always “hung onto… (a) tiny little bit of hope” that her Paris Olympics dream wasn’t over.

In a non-playing capacity, Hirini travelled with the team to the SVNS Series Grand Final in Madrid in early June. While that hinted at a potential return in time for the Games, Hirini's return wasn’t made official until the Team New Zealand squad was unveiled later that month.

“I was probably a lot more emotional making the squad than I was winning,” Sarah Hirini told SENZ’s Afternoons with Staffy.

“Not in a bad way. I was bloody stoked after that game. But the journey I had gone on the past seven months to go to that point – I almost said to myself I can’t lose now, whatever happens.

“I definitely wanted to win but there was no point in worrying about whether we were going to win or not, I was just happy to be there and to get a chance to compete with the team again.”

In New Zealand’s opening match in front of a record-breaking crowd for a women’s rugby sevens event, Hirini scored one try in a big 43-5 win over China at the Games. The Kiwis also got the better of Canada 33-7 and Fiji 38-7 during a practically perfect run in pool play.

Team New Zealand faced China again in the quarter-finals and there was a sense of déjà vu at full-time. The Kiwis had put on another cricket score, winning 55-5 over a side who had beaten Fiji earlier in the competition, to book their spot in the final four.

Ilona Maher’s USA couldn’t quite hang on in the semi-finals as New Zealand secured a medal with a 12-point win in the semis. The Kiwis faced Canada again in the gold medal match, and while it was a nervy contest, Hirini’s return from injury had a fairytale finish.

New Zealand claimed Olympic gold for the second time in as many Games with a 19-12 win over the Canadians. Hirini later revealed that she had “multiple fractures in my face” after taking a knock in that decider, but it wasn’t going to stop the skipper from achieving her destiny.

“Just reliving that moment brings a lot of tears,” Hirini said. “I could not believe that I am here.

“It was one of the most incredible atmospheres that I’d ever been a part of, ever played in front of. I’m glad that the French people love New Zealand as well, so we got cheers while we were over there.

“I was emotional to the point that I was happy I got to play footy again. I get to run around with my sisters and play the game that I love in front of all of these people.

“It was a pretty incredible moment and then it was like, ‘right, I’ve got to my job now’.”

The Olympics are over. It was a fun, entertaining two-week period where the world’s best athletes came together for an unmissable showcase of their skills. But, since returning to New Zealand, the nation’s Olympians have returned as heroes.

“We took the medal to Te Puke Primary School this morning and just seeing the teacher’s reactions to it and all the kids touching the medal and stuff, I think that makes it feel a little bit more real.

“Walking around Papamoa at the supermarket and people are yelling our congratulations,”

“But yeah, it’s been a crazy ride.”