Madison Ashby has been unveiled as co-captain of the Women’s side, sharing duties with Isabella Nasser.
It comes as Queenslander Ethan McFarland is set to be added to the Men’s squad after a promising 2025 season.
Watch the 2025-2026 HSBC SVNS Series live and on demand via Stan Sport.
For Ashby, the turnaround from injury to captaincy completes a whirlwind period for the Sevens star, having been sidelined since 2024's Singapore Sevens, enduring a long and difficult recovery.
However, the time away has given her perspective on her place in rugby, and she’s excited to rip into the new season.
“It was quite challenging,” Ashby said.
“Everything was rugby, rugby, rugby. And then I did my ACL in that game and then everything came to a stop before [the] Olympics so it was a bit of a whirlwind for me, but I had my family and the support of all the coaching staff and my teammates here.
“[Playing Sevens], it's something you should cherish. So, let alone doing that and getting to captain the girls and lead them out onto the field, I reckon it was probably one of the best experiences I've ever had within my rugby career.
“It does make me extremely proud, especially getting to do it alongside Bella Nasser.
“She had an amazing year last year doing it on her own with the girls, and they had an amazing season. So I think going into Dubai, I'm quite thankful that I have her co-captaining alongside me. I think it'll be an experience for the next year.”
Ashby will have to fight hard to maintain her starting position, with the injury toll sustained last year opening the door for a new generation of players who made their mark last year.
The result is a perfect storm, with the Aussies fielding strong depth in the side, with front-line stars returning and the new class of rising talent pushing them for starting positions.
“I think the competition in the team has risen in a healthy way… we're getting the best out of one another and at the end of the day we all want to make the team,” Ashby added.
“It's been a very healthy, but competitive environment.
“Dubai is probably one of our main tournaments that we always strive for, especially through pre-season. We pride ourselves on working hard and having a huge work ethic.
“We've had a good pre-season prep and I feel ready leading into Dubai… I'm just going to back us, always.”
Meanwhile, in the men’s squad, the addition of McFarland signals the growing depth in the men’s game, with the 23-year-old having a massive 2025 in the Hospital Cup, before trialling well in recent weeks to be drafted into Liam Barry’s squad.
“Ethan impressed the coaching staff after recently trialling with the squad,” Sevens National Performance Manager Scott Bowen said in an official statement.
“He brings a mix of speed and power and will complement the players around him throughout the upcoming season.”
The Women's team will get their Dubai campaign underway with pool matches against Japan, Canada and Great Britain, and will be looking to push for a sixth straight title at The Sevens Stadium.
Meanwhile, the Men's will play Spain in the season opener before meeting New Zealand and Great Britain in their pool stages.
DUBAI FIXTURES - HSBC SVNS World Series 2025/2026
AUSTRALIA WOMEN
- Saturday, November 29: Australia v Japan (6:42pm AEDT)
- Saturday, November 29: Australia v Canada (10:05pm AEDT)
- Sunday, November 30: Australia v Great Britain (1:11am AEDT)
AUSTRALIA MEN
- Saturday, November 29: Australia v Spain (7:48pm AEDT)
- Saturday, November 29: Australia v New Zealand (10:54pm AEDT)
- Sunday, November 30: Australia v Great Britain (2:50am AEDT)
