Jerry Collins ‘Died Saving His Baby Daughter’— How She's Doing 10 Years On
Rugby NewsThursday, 05 June 2025 at 14:39
The daughter of the late All Blacks star Jerry Collins has shown incredible strength in her journey to recover from the devastating brain trauma she suffered in the tragic June 2015 car crash that claimed the lives of both her parents.
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Investigators believe Collins, a New Zealand rugby legend, heroically used his body to shield his then-three-month-old daughter Ayla from the impact a decade ago, sacrificing himself to protect her.
Later that month, the families of Collins and his partner, Alana Madill, shared an emotional update on Ayla’s health. Despite the odds, the baby had emerged from a coma and was ‘accepting bottle feeding.’
By Christmas of 2015, there was more heartening news. Ayla, then eight months old, had begun to crawl. Her grandfather, Darrell Madill, shared optimistic updates about her recovery, defying early fears that she might face lifelong disabilities.
“She’s recovered from a lot of injuries,” Darrell Madill told the New Zealand Herald
“She talks in the baby way and plays with toys. Just normal things. She makes all kinds of baby sounds, she’s a very happy, cheerful little girl.
“I would say with time we’ll know if she will overcome all her brain trauma, but we’re optimistic... she’s very alert. I think she’s gonna do fine.
“My wife and I, we get down on the floor and help her put her arms and legs in the right positions and try to help her get used to the idea of crawling around.”
Now 10 years old, it is believed Ayla continues to thrive, living in Canada with her grandparents as a testament to resilience and hope.
Following the crash, French-based former All Blacks Neemia Tialata, Ali Williams, Chris Masoe, Byron Kelleher and Carl Hayman visited the site and paid their respects by performing a roadside haka.
Tialata posted a video of the haka on Twitter.
The 10 hardest rugby players in history:
#10. Eben Etzebeth (South Africa)
Price says: "Etzebeth is another who never took a backward step. He learned so much from watching Botha and they used to say he was ready to fight anyone - including the referee."
#9. Bakkies Botha (South Africa)
Price says: "In an era when it has been more difficult to 'assert yourself' as a hard man because there are so many TV cameras around these days, he was still able to stand out as the Springboks' enforcer for a decade."
#8. Jerry Collins (New Zealand)
Price says: "Another modern-day great to make my list. He intimidated with his ferocious tackling and fearsome ball-carrying.
"If you want evidence of just how hard as nails Collins was, just ask Colin Charvis, who was knocked out cold by one of his tackles in a New Zealand v Wales game."
#7. Wayne Shelford (New Zealand)
Shelford, born on December 13, 1957, is a former New Zealand rugby union player. Renowned for his powerful performances as a number 8, Shelford captained the All Blacks in the late 1980s. He symbolizes the team's toughness, famously playing on despite losing several teeth in a brutal match.
#6. Fran Cotton (England)
Price says: "A great player, a fierce opponent and wonderful team-mate of mine with the Lions in 1977. If you went into battle, you knew Franny would watch your back.
"We played the three Tests in the front row against New Zealand on that '77 tour and they had a newspaper called The Truth, which was their equivalent of the News of the World."
#5. Frank Oliver (New Zealand)
Oliver, born on January 27, 1948, was a formidable New Zealand rugby player and coach. Known for his tenacity as a lock, Oliver earned 43 caps for the All Blacks from 1971 to 1978. Post-retirement, he transitioned to coaching, contributing significantly to New Zealand's rugby development.
#4. Colin Meads (New Zealand)
Price says: "The best out and out player in my selection, a legendary second row, but another who took no nonsense."
#3. Alain Esteve (France)
Price says: "Legend has it that Esteve once caught another man with his wife and threw him out of the first floor bedroom window."
#2. Michel Palmie (France)
Price says: "He seemed to be frequently banned for dirty play - which was extra dirty even by French standards of the time. In one match he whacked me so hard on the head I had a four inch gash."
#1. Gerard Cholley (France)
Price says: "Cholley was a loosehead so I directly came up against him several times, able to vouch first hand for his hardness.
"He used to be heavyweight boxing champion in the French services, the Paras I think, and there's a great story about how he started in rugby that says everything."
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- Jordie Barrett over Damian de Allende is far from being correct. The hype around Dupont is also overreaching, he's probably 4th in the world and has been since the 2023 WC. He also avoids certain matchups which is strange. The rest of the list is pretty good apart from minor subjective biases.JasonMarlow16-09-2026
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