Global Netball Injury Report: Veve's Commonwealth Games Honour and Ridley's Resilience Highlight Latest Returns

Netball's physical demands are notoriously brutal, but the sport's culture of resilience is unmatched. This week's global injury updates are defined not by the setbacks, but by the triumphs of players fighting their way back to the court after grueling, months-long rehabilitations.

Leading the charge is Tonga Tala captain Hulita Veve. After suffering a potentially career-ending anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) rupture midway through the 2025 Suncorp Super Netball season, the 30-year-old spent 350 challenging days on the sidelines.

The injury cost Veve her Super Netball contract with the Queensland Firebirds, a devastating blow for a player who had waited years for her elite opportunity. Yet, rather than walking away after two decades in the sport, she found a lifeline with the Ipswich Jets in the HART Sapphire Series to rebuild her match fitness and confidence.

Her persistence was rewarded in spectacular fashion this week. During a team Zoom call, Tonga coach Jaqua Pori-Makea Simpson announced that Veve will carry the Tongan flag at the opening ceremony of the Glasgow 2026 Commonwealth Games.

"It's a big honour to carry the flag... I didn't think my name would be in the mix," Veve told Netball Australia, noting that the prospect of leading Tonga in their debut Commonwealth Games campaign was the primary reason she endured the grueling rehab process.

Veve's story mirrors the quiet determination of Maddi Ridley, who is making her own emotional return for the Queensland Firebirds Futures. Ridley is stepping back onto the court after suffering her second ACL rupture during the 2025 pre-season.

Recovering from one knee reconstruction is a monumental task; facing a second requires a unique psychological fortitude. Ridley admitted to the Firebirds' media team that as she lay on the floor following the second tear, her immediate thought was, "Is this the end?"

Instead of retiring at 24, Ridley leaned into the structured rehabilitation process. She balanced full-time study and work while utilizing the Firebirds' support system, ultimately earning the vice-captaincy of the Futures squad for the 2026 Super Netball Reserves season.

The prevalence of these knee injuries is deeply tied to netball's unique biomechanics. According to the British Orthopaedic Association, roughly 80 percent of ACL injuries in netball are non-contact, driven by the sport's strict "footwork rule" which restricts players to a one-step landing.

This sudden deceleration generates vertical ground reaction forces up to 5.7 times a player's body weight, placing immense shear and rotational stress on the lower limbs. Consequently, modern rehabilitation now places a heavy emphasis on progressive loading and psychological readiness before clearing athletes for play.

While Veve and Ridley are returning from long-term rehab, the West Coast Fever have turned to a familiar face to solve an immediate injury crisis. Two-time premiership winner Verity Simmons has sensationally come out of retirement to rejoin the Fever for the 2026 Super Netball season.[1]

Simmons, who left netball in 2023 to pursue an AFLW career, answered the call after Zoe Cransberg suffered a foot injury that will sideline her for at least eight weeks. Cransberg herself was already serving as an injury replacement for Diamonds defender Sunday Aryang.[1]

Fever netball boss Sara Francis-Bayman praised Simmons' professionalism, noting that bringing her in immediately allows the 34-year-old to complete a full pre-season campaign and inject vital championship experience into a depleted squad.[1]

The spirit of resilience extends far beyond the elite ranks. In Victoria, 13-year-old Mia is back on the court after surviving a "one in a million" training collision that resulted in an intracranial hematoma and required emergency brain surgery.[2]

Following a successful craniotomy at Peninsula University Hospital and a careful, graded return-to-play protocol, the young prodigy has not only recovered but has been selected for the Southern Saints VNL Academy, proving that the sport's trademark grit exists at every level.[2]

As global netball continues to professionalize in 2026, governing bodies are implementing stricter safety protocols to protect these athletes. World Netball has empowered umpires to halt play immediately for obvious injuries without waiting for a team request, a crucial step in managing head knocks and severe structural damage.

Ultimately, the latest wave of injury updates serves as a powerful reminder of the athletes' dedication. Whether it is leading a nation at the Commonwealth Games, captaining a reserves squad, or simply getting back on a local court, the drive to return remains the heartbeat of global netball.[2]