Reigning World Rugby Sevens Player of the Year Maddison Levi has opened up about Thursday’s game-changing announcement which saw nine HSBC SVNS Series stars commit to either the Queensland Reds, NSW Waratahs or ACT Brumbies for next season.
Levi will link up with the Reds next week for pre-season training along with younger sister Teagan, three-time Olympian Charlotte Caslick, sevens captain Isabella Nasser, and recent SVNS Series debutant Khali Henwood.
Sariah Paki is the only player heading to the Waratahs, while the trio of Demi Hayes, Tia Hinds and Bienne Terita are off to the ACT Brumbies. All nine women have committed to the Super Rugby Women’s sides in an effort to push their case for Wallaroos selection in 2025.
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With the Women’s Rugby World Cup in England rapidly approaching, time is running out for players to prove themselves worthy of a spot in that squad. It’s understood that these players will play two rounds of SR Women’s during a four-week block between SVNS stops in March.
As Levi explained, the lure of becoming a “dual international” was too good to turn down. Levi has spoken time and time again about her interest in playing 15s in 2025, but the fact it’s now official is exciting for the Wallaroos, Australian rugby fans, and of course the woman herself.
“I’d love to be a dual international. That’s definitely a goal of mine,” Levi told the Reds Media Unit. “It would be surreal and to play 15s alongside my sister at the Reds.
“Looking back at the little girl who played at the Tokyo Olympics (at 19 in 2021), I probably didn’t know top rugby from AFL to be honest.
“I’ve felt I’ve not only grown as a person but as a player to make a mark on rugby sevens. I want to keep progressing as a player.
“I based my satisfaction for a good part of that season on defence and improving there with my chase-downs, working my feet and sitting people down with my tackling,” she added.
Levi was recently crowned the world’s best women’s sevens player at the World Rugby Awards in Monaco before kicking off the new SVNS Series season in Dubai. The 22-year-old appeared to be a class above once again, scoring a record-breaking 15 tries across six games that weekend.
In the Women’s Cup Final against arch-rivals New Zealand, Levi ended up scoring the match-winner with about two minutes to play after intercepting a Jazmin Felix-Hotham pass. It was an idyllic start to the new season for the defending overall Series champions.
Former Australia captain Charlotte Caslick was named the Player of the Final, which capped off an impressive tournament for the 2016 Olympic gold medallist, and was labelled the team’s “Empress” by coach Tim Walsh a week later at Cape Town’s DHL Stadium.
Caslick spoke with RugbyPass and rugby.com.au before the sevens season about a potential move to 15s, with the 29-year-old revealing at the time that she only wanted to play for Queensland. That’s the way it’s played out, with Caslick one of five players joining the Reds.
“We just haven’t had a good time where it alighted well,” Caslick said in the Reds’ statement. “I’m pretty flexible (where I play). Wherever they see that I can fit in or where I can add value.”
