Stronger than the setback: Meg Bence’s road back to the field

Meg Bence’s journey at Acadia took an unexpected turn on June 16, 2025. The second-year Axewomen rugby player suffered a torn ACL during a summer club match - an injury that sidelined her for an entire season. But what followed was not defined by what she lost, but by how she responded. Through months of rehabilitation, support from teammates and staff, and a mindset rooted in growth, Bence transformed a setback into a defining chapter - one that now shapes her return to the field.

The pop came first. Then the silence.

Then the sound of her own voice - loud, raw and unmistakably heartbroken.

On June 16, 2025, Meg Bence tore her anterior cruciate ligament during a summer club rugby game in Pictou. She wasn’t supposed to be playing, but the team was short numbers and she offered to step in. One stride through a tackle, and everything changed.

“I felt the pop while running through a tackle,” she said. “My reaction was loud - not because of pain, but because my heart was hurting. I knew I’d be missing out on a lot.”

In that moment, the Acadia Axewomen player understood what she was facing: surgery, months of rehabilitation and a season lost.

“I knew right away what it was,” she said. “I remember thinking, well, there goes my next year.”

The reality of loss

The injury wasn’t just physical.

It meant stepping away from the field, from competition and from the routine that had shaped her days. The practices, lifts and games she had been building toward were suddenly gone.

Support came quickly. A teammate’s parent drove her to the emergency room. Another helped connect her with a doctor. Within hours, she was referred to an orthopedic surgeon in Kentville.

But in the days that followed, the reality set in.

It was the kind of loss athletes understand well - not defined by pain, but by absence.

The support system

What carried her through was the people around her.

Her parents. Her roommates. Her best friend, Sam Reid, who had come back from a serious injury of her own. Her teammates. Her athletic therapist, Curtis Arsenault. Her strength and conditioning coach, Nick Pilichos.

Together, they built a support system that became central to her recovery.

“Acadia and my family set up a solid rehab team right away,” Bence said. “My surgeon was phenomenal, my parents were there from the start, and my strength coach and athletic therapist supported me every step of the way.”

Among her teammates, a group of injured athletes formed what they called the “bomb squad” - a support group that kept each other motivated and grounded through the early stages of recovery.

But that support extended beyond her immediate circle.

Bence said she also drew inspiration from other injured student-athletes across Acadia, including members of the women’s soccer team and the football program, whose recovery journeys helped shape her own perspective.

“Seeing and hearing about other athletes coming back from injuries was really inspiring,” she said. “It made me realize what’s possible and helped shift my mindset.”

That collective resilience - across teams and programs - became a powerful motivator.

“Community is everything,” she said. “Going through something tough brings out the best in everyone around you.”

Turning a setback into a challenge

It didn’t take long for Bence’s competitive instincts to take over.

Once she accepted the injury, her focus shifted to what she could control.

“As soon as I realized I couldn’t control what happened, but I could control my perspective, I was all in,” she said.

She approached rehabilitation the same way she approached competition - as something to win.

Patience and consistency became key. Progress came in small steps, and she learned to trust the process.

The work

Her recovery was built on routine.

Time in the weight room, the clinic and at home became her focus. She paid closer attention to nutrition, sleep and strength than ever before.

“I started competing with myself,” she said. “Every lift, every rep - it all became part of the goal.”

The results followed.

“I set personal records in all my lifts and built my legs to be stronger than before,” she said. “I’ve gained muscle and I’m at a better weight for my position.”

But the most significant growth wasn’t physical.

“I’ve built a level of mental toughness that I didn’t have before,” she said. “Not much can knock me down now.”

She also found new ways to stay connected to the game, including coaching - an experience that allowed her to give back while continuing to grow.

A shift in perspective

Time away from the field changed how she views the sport.

“Losing something you love makes you realize how important it is,” she said. “I’ll never take rugby for granted again - or anything important in life.”

She learned to trust the work and stay grounded in the process.

“Sometimes you just have to believe everything will be okay and trust that your work will get you there,” she said.

A game that came quickly

Bence has only been playing rugby for four years, but the impact has been immediate.

“I started playing rugby four years ago, and it’s been the most rewarding journey,” she said. “I want to do this for life and get to the top if I can.”

Her long-term goal is to play professionally, driven by the growth of women’s rugby in Canada.

“Women’s rugby is on the rise, and I want to be part of that,” she said.

Looking ahead

After missing a full season, her focus is now on returning.

One moment stands out: stepping back onto Raymond Field in front of the home crowd.

“Home games will never be beat,” she said. “The best feeling in the world is stepping onto Raymond. I’m just counting down the days to be back.”

Passing it on

Bence knows her experience is one many athletes will face.

“Injuries in sport are unavoidable,” she said. “My advice is to channel that fear into growth. Use it to push yourself. You can control what you get out of it.”

For Bence, the comeback is about more than returning to play.

It’s about returning stronger - physically, mentally and emotionally - with a clearer sense of purpose.

The injury may have ended her season, but it didn’t define her path.

It reshaped it.

Our weekly student-athlete features share the stories of Axemen and Axewomen in their own words. From why they chose Acadia, to how they found their sport, to the people and moments that have shaped their journey, these first-person pieces highlight the experiences, challenges, and triumphs of Acadia’s student-athletes on and off the field.