From surgeries to comebacks: Rugby stars defy odds to shine at Women's WC

Heartbreaking sports injuries before major events are as fated as sunset. The Women’s Rugby World Cup is no different.

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Charlotte Caslick gave up the captaincy of Australia’s world champion sevens team to be a World Cup Wallaroo but withdrew from the squad this month after running out of time rehabbing the right ankle she broke last month. However, she’s on standby for the knockout rounds.

In tuneups against Ireland this month, Canada flanker Pamphinette Buisa injured her arm and was ruled out a week before the World Cup, and Scotland fullback Lucia Scott broke her hand and had to drop out.

Ireland suffered its own major blows in April when two key flankers went down; Erin King, the world breakthrough player of 2094, to a knee injury, and Dorothy Wall to an Achilles tendon injury.

But some players do manage to come back and stun the world.

Scarratt became the first Englishwoman to appear in five World Cups last Friday in the opening win over the United States, but that was far from a certainty.