The Adelaide Rush is officially building its roster for the upcoming 2026/27 Australian Women’s Ice Hockey League (AWIHL) season.
After finishing fifth and missing out on the finals in 2025/26, the Rush will be looking for a big bounce-back year.
Head coach Jeremy Friederich returns to the bench for his second season at the helm of the six-time Joan McKowen Trophy champions.
This season marks a major milestone for the club, which is celebrating 10 years under the Adelaide Rush name.
Founded in 2005, the team is an AWIHL original, first competing in the National Women’s Program Showcase Series.
Established as the Adelaide Assassins, they went on to win five Joan McKowen Trophy championships.
Following a merger with the Australian Ice Hockey League’s Adelaide Adrenaline in 2011, they captured one more championship in 2012.
Emerging from that merger in 2016, the Adelaide Rush were officially born, returning to the AWIHL as an independent organisation.
Now, marking a decade of Rush hockey, the red and blue are highly motivated to make a triumphant return to finals action.
A New-Look Squad for 2026/27
As fans eagerly await the full roster, key signings are rolling in.
It will undoubtedly be a different-looking Rush outfit this season due to some major offseason shifts.
Club captain Kate Tihema is currently recovering from ACL surgery, Torie Cybulski has departed for the Perth Inferno, and several multi-season imports will not be returning to South Australia.
Despite the changes across the roster, Adelaide have locked in three crucial local players for the upcoming season.
With a big shift in roster direction this season, local signings will be the key pillars for a successful Rush season.
Natalie Ayris
Natalie Ayris was the first player signed by the Rush for the upcoming campaign.
Debuting back in 2013, Ayris has played her entire career in Adelaide.
Across a 146-game career in the AWIHL, she has become an absolute mainstay and key player for the club.
Ayris put up 12 points in 2025/26—including three goals and nine assists—while successfully hitting the 100-point career milestone.
Crucial to the culture of the Rush both on and off the ice, Ayris will once again be a key piece of Adelaide’s finals push.
Tiffany Venning
Veteran Tiffany Venning was the second signing announced as the Rush look to solidifying their blue line.
Venning has played 137 games in the AWIHL, originally debuting for the Brisbane Goannas before moving to Adelaide for the 2017/18 season.
The former Australian international is a steadying presence on the defensive end.
With seven assists from 20 games last season, Venning proved to be a strong stay-at-home defender once again.
As Adelaide looks to regain a finals position, Venning will provide vital leadership from the back end.
Kirsty Venus
Kirsty Venus needs no introduction to anyone familiar with the AWIHL.
One of the most electrifying players in the league, the puck-moving defender’s ability to get up and down the ice is elite.
It was a career year for Venus in 2025/26, racking up 25 points from 20 games, including 11 goals and 14 assists.
Her stellar performances earned her the prestigious title of AWIHL Best Defender for the 2025/26 season.
With 102 points across 135 career games in the league, her year-on-year production shows that the veteran blueliner is not slowing down.
Given the team’s departures and unavailable players this season, Venus is undoubtedly one of the club’s most important signings.
For the Rush to get back into medal contention, they will need another massive season from the elite defender.
