A tug-of-war for the services of rugby sevens golden girls Maddison and Teagan Levi has broken out after Rugby Australia rejected an approach from the pair to play in the NRLW next year.
The sisters, who have become the faces of Australian women’s rugby following their starring roles at the Paris Olympics, have attracted interest from NRLW clubs Wests Tigers and Gold Coast Titans for the 2025 season.
Teagan, 21, and Maddison, 22, stand to earn up to $100,000 as marquee players for a maximum 13-week stint in the competition next year, when the NRLW expands to 12 teams with the introduction of the Bulldogs and Warriors.
That sum is almost as much as they earn in a year under their fulltime contracts with Rugby Australia, which expire at the end of 2026.
Sources with knowledge of the situation talking on the condition of anonymity told the Herald Australia’s women’s sevens coach Tim Walsh and his staff have given the sisters their blessing to take a three-month break from their rugby commitments to play in the NRLW next year.
Walsh was happy to agree to the sabbatical given the NRLW season is played during the break from the Sevens circuit between June and October. The NRLW season runs from the end of July through to the grand final on the first weekend in October.
Teagan Levi (left) and Maddison Levi (right) have become the faces of Australian women’s rugby.Credit: Getty
However, Rugby Australia chief executive Phil Waugh and director of high-performance Peter Horne have come in over the top of Walsh and knocked back the sisters’ request.
RA powerbrokers want the sisters, who have previously played for the Gold Coast Suns in AFLW, to make themselves available for the Wallaroos’ World Cup campaign next year.
The women’s World Cup will be played in the United Kingdom in August and September – the same time the NRLW competition will be running.
Sources with knowledge of the situation talking on the condition of anonymity told the Herald the sisters have indicated they are reluctant to play the 15-a-side version of the sport and would prefer to earn the extra money available in rugby league.
Teagan and Maddison Levi are comforted after the women’s sevens side’s loss in the bronze-medal match.Credit: Getty Images
Australia are not expected to be a major contender at the World Cup, with New Zealand, England, Canada and France the world’s top four ranked sides.
An RA official said the sisters were contracted to rugby and head office expected them to fulfil their obligations.
The Herald contacted the sisters’ manager Mat Rogers, a decorated dual international with the Wallabies and Kangaroos, on Tuesday. Rogers said conversations with RA were ongoing.
“Our priority at Rogers Sports Management is Maddie and Teagan Levi,” Rogers said. “We understand that rugby has afforded them an amazing opportunity, but these young women are phenomenal athletes in demand in three codes; AFL, rugby league and rugby union. They are currently contracted to rugby union.
“There’s no doubt we will honour that contract but we’re always exploring ways to maximise the earning capacity of our girls that best suits their future. There has been an appetite to explore it, but with the rugby women’s World Cup on the horizon, it doesn’t look likely they will be afforded the opportunity to play.”
There is a limited window for the sisters to maximise their potential earnings by juggling rugby and NRLW.
The NRLW’s 11-round regular season won’t clash with the Sevens tour in 2025, but the NRL has plans to move to a 17 team competition in the near future and any expansion of the women’s season would cause an overlap with sevens, closing the window for athletes to compete in both competitions.
Waugh said he expected the Levis to remain in rugby for the long term.
“Maddison and Teagan are world-class players and highly valued by Australian rugby,” Waugh told the Herald. “They were the talk of the rugby world after their brilliant performances at the Paris Olympics.
“We look forward to the Levis playing leading roles in more major tournament success in rugby in the years ahead.”
Sports news, results and expert commentary. Sign up for our Sport newsletter.
