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Superstar Levi sisters re-sign as Australia women's sevens squad named
In a major boost to the Australian women’s sevens side moving forward, superstar sisters Maddison and Teagan Levi have recommitted to the program until at least the 2025/26 season.
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Maddison was nominated as one of three finalists for World Rugby’s Player of the Year award after an incredible season in green and gold. The AFLW convert was also named in the Dream Team after setting the all-time record of 57 tries in a single season.
As for younger sister Teagan, who was also drafted by the Gold Coast Suns, the 20-year-old enjoyed a breakout season on the World Series circuit.
Teagan started the season outside of the starting side but was goal-kicking and starting as one of the primary playmakers by the time the Cup final at the prestigious Hong Kong Sevens kicked off.
The Levi sisters have formed a formidable partnership that will continue to benefit the Australian Sevens program for an additional two years before the Paris Olympics.
“The Aussie Rugby Sevens program is probably the highest level elite, full-time women’s sports program in the country,” Maddison Levi said in a statement.”
“The level of the coaching and training, the S&C, the medical side, the player development, and the standards and expectations within the group are as good as it gets.“Plus, we have experienced so much over the last two seasons – travelling the world with this group, winning major tournaments – that it just made it such an easy decision to continue on with the squad beyond the Olympics next year.“There is so much to look forward to for this program – and I will get to do it with my sister, as well as with this extended family that is our team.”
Teagan added: “I feel like I am just getting started in Rugby Sevens. It has only been two years – we have had great success, but I feel like my contribution is growing every tournament.“We work hard every day to keep improving, and it’s really satisfying when you see the results together as a team. It is such a supportive and hard-working group, and you can see the quality of the program when legends like Charlotte Caslick and Sharni Smale keep re-signing and wanting to stay and play here.“We’ve got a strong core group that has been together for a few years, and we keep regenerating it with exciting talent every year. Bring on the next three seasons!”
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This news comes as a major boost with coach Tim Walsh naming the Australian Women’s sevens squad ahead of the new-look SVNS season in 2023/24.
Captain Charlotte Caslick will lead the squad which boasts plenty of experience. World Series veterans Sharni Smale and Dominique Du Toit have also been named.
Other returning members of the World Series winning squad of 2022 include the Levi sisters, Faith Natha, Madson Ashby, Demi Hayes, Bienne Terita, Alysia Lefau-Fakosilea, Tia Hinds, Sariah Paki and Lily Dick.
Rising star Bella Nasser returns after a debut season in a green and gold, while Kaitlin Shave, Sidney Taylor and Heidi Dennis have all been picked for the first time.
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“This is a huge season for the Sevens program, obviously with an exciting new format for the HSBC SVNS and culminating with the Olympics in Paris, which is the absolute pinnacle for our program,” coach Tim Walsh said.
“Our squad still has a huge amount of talent from the dominant 2022 team, not to mention a couple of gold medallists in Charlotte and Sharni.“We have a number of players that can be considered among the best players in the Sevens world and we have added to that this year with some exciting stars of the future in Kaitlin, Sidney and Heidi.“Maddison and Teagan are genuine competitive culture drivers in our squad, which is quite remarkable when you consider how inexperienced they are.“They have quickly gone from rookies to elite players on the world circuit. Maddi has become one of the best players in the world and someone that all oppositions fear.“Teagan’s improvement over the last 12 months is a testament to her toughness, resilience, and desire to be better. We are thrilled to keep such outstanding players – and people – in the Rugby Sevens program.”
The Australian women’s and men’s teams get their seasons underway in just a couple of weeks’ time on December 2-3 in Dubai, before visiting Cape Town a week later.
Perth, Vancouver, Los Angeles, Hong Kong, Singapore and Madrid are the other stops on the road to the Paris Games in 2024.
AUSTRALIA WOMEN’S SEVENS SQUAD – 2023/24 SEASON1. Lily Dick2. Sharni Smale3. Faith Nathan4. Dominique Du Toit5. Teagan Levi6. Madison Ashby7. Charlotte Caslick ©8. Kaitlin Shave9. Tia Hinds10. Bella Nasser11. Demi Hayes12. Maddison Levi13. Heidi Dennis22. Bienne Terita44. Sidney Taylor55. Alysia Lefau-Fakaosilea65. Sariah Paki
Comments on RugbyPass
I bet he inspired those supporters just as much.
1 Go to commentsBen Smith Springboks living rent free in his head 😊😂
67 Go to commentsGood to hear he would like to play the game at the highest level, I hadn’t been to sure how much of a motivator that was before now. Sadly he’s probably chosen the rugby club to go to. Try not to worry about all the input about how you should play rugby Joey and just try to emulate what you do on the league field and have fun. You’ll limit your game too much (well not really because he’s a standard athlete like SBW and he’ll still have enough) if you’re trying to make sure you can recycle the ball back etc. On the other hard, you can totally just try and recycle by looking to offload any and everywhere if you’re going to ground 😋
1 Go to commentsThis just proves that theres always a stat and a metric to use to justify your abilities and your success. Ben did it last week by creating an imaginary competition and now you did the same to counter his argument and espouse a new yardstick for success. Why not just use the current one and lets say the Boks have won 4 world cups making them the most successful world cup team. Outside of the world cup the All Blacks are the most successful team winning countless rugby championships and dominating the rankings with high win percentages. Over the last 4 years statistically the Irish are the best having the highest win rate and also having positive records against every tier 1 side. The most successful Northern team in the game has been England with a world cup title and the most six nations titles in history. The AB’s are the most dominant team in history with the highest win rate and 3 world cups. Lets not try to reinvent the wheel. Just be honest about the actual stats and what each team has been good at doing and that will be enough to define their level of success.
19 Go to commentsHow is 7’s played there? I’m surprised 10 or 11 man rugby hasn’t taken off. 7 just doesn’t fit the 15s dynamics (rules n field etc) but these other versions do.
7 Go to commentsPick Swinton at your peril A liability just like JWH from the Roosters Skelton ??? went missing at RWC
14 Go to commentsLike tennis, who have a ranking system, and I believe rugby too, just measure over each period preceding a world cup event who was the longest number one and that would be it. In tennis the number one player frequently is not the grand slam winner. I love and adore the All Blacks since the days of Ian Kirkpatrick when I was a kid in SA. And still do because they are the masters of running rugby and are gentleman on and off the field - in general. And in my opinion they have been the majority of the time the best rugby team in the world.
19 Go to commentsHaving overseas possessions in 2024 is absurd. These Frenchies should have to give the New Caledonians their freedom.
21 Go to commentsBell injured his foot didn’t he? Bring Tupou in he’ll deliver when it counts. Agree mostly but I would switch in the Reds number 8 Harry Wilson for Swinton and move Rob Valentini to 6 instead. Wilson is a clever player who reads the play, you can’t outmuscle the AB’s and Springboks, if you have any chance it’s by playing clever. Same goes for Paisami, he’s a little guy who doesn’t really trouble the likes of De Allende and Jordie Barrett. I’d rather play Carter Gordon at 12 and put Michael Lynagh’s boy at 10. That way you get a BMT type goalkicker at 10 and a playmaker at 12. Anyways, just my two cents as a Bok supporter.
14 Go to commentsThanks Brett, love your articles which are alway pertinent. It’s a difficult topic trying to have a panel adjudicating consistently penalties for red card issues. Many of the mitigating reasons raised are judged subjectively, hence the different outcomes. How to take away subjective opinions?
9 Go to commentsYes Sir! Surprising, just like Fraser would also have escaped sanction if he was a few inches lower, even if it was by accident that he missed! Has there really been talk about those sanctions or is this just sensational journalism? I stopped reading, so might have missed any notations.
9 Go to commentsAI is only as good as the information put in, the nuances of the sport, what you see out the corner of the eye, how you sum up in a split second the situation, yes the AI is a tool but will not help win games, more likely contribute to a loss, Rugby Players are not robots, all AI can do if offer a solution not the solution. AI will effect many sports, help train better golfers etc.
45 Go to commentsIt couldn’t have been Ryan Crotty. He wasn’t selected in either World Cup side - they chose Money Bill instead. And Money Bill only cared about himself, and that manager he had, not the team.
28 Go to commentsYawn 🥱 nobody would give a hoot about this new trophy. End of the day we just have to beat Ireland and NZ this year then they can finally shut up 🤐
19 Go to commentsTalking bout Ryan Crotty? Heard Crotty say in a interview once that SBW doesen't care about the team . He went on to say that whenever they lost a big game, SBW would be happy as if nothing happened, according to him someone who cares would look down.. Personally I think Crotty is in the wrong, not for feeling gutted but for expecting others 2 be like him… I have been a bad loser forever as it matters so much to me but good on you SBW for being able to see the bigger picture….
28 Go to commentsThis sounds like a WWE idea so Americans can also get excited about rugby, RUGBY NEEDS A INTERNATIONAL CALENDER .. The rugby Championship and Six Nations can be held at same time, top 3 of six nations and top 3 of Rugby championship (6 nations should include Georgia AND another qualifying country while Fiji, Japan and Samoa/Tonga qualifier should make out 6 Southern teams).. Scrap June internationals and year end tours. Have a Elite top six Cup and the Bottom 6 in a secondary comp….
19 Go to commentsThe rugby championship would be even stronger with Fiji in it… I know it doesen’t fit the long term plans of NZ or Aus but you are robbing a whole nation of being able to see their best players play for Fiji…. Every second player in NZ and AUS teams has Fijian surnames… shame on you!!! World rugby won’t step in either as France and England has now also joined in…. I guess where money is involved it will always be the poor countries missing out….
90 Go to commentsNo surprise there. How hard can it be to pick a ball off the ground and chuck it to a mate? 😂
4 Go to commentsSometimes people just like a moan mate!
9 Go to commentsexcellent idea ! rugby needs this 💪
19 Go to comments