Australia’s all-conquering women’s rugby sevens stars are set to become targets for rival codes, with rugby league and AFL teams looking to pounce.
After an unprecedented “triple crown” of victories in 2022, Australia’s women on Wednesday returned home from their World Cup triumph in Cape Town, having also won the world series and gold at the Commonwealth Games.
Several members of the Australian women’s sevens team with the World Cup on Tuesday.Credit:Rhett Wyman
And while their exploits may have largely gone unnoticed by the wider public in Australia, proud coach Tim Walsh described his players as the best overall athletes in the country.
“We don’t get the publicity because we’re not week in, week out, and we’re an international sport,” Walsh said. “But these girls have proven that they are the best. If you dug deep into the data, you’d see the speeds, the strength and then of course their results.”
Hence why NRLW and AFLW clubs have been eyeing their star players, including sisters Teagan and Maddi Levi, whose mentor and manager Mat Rogers confirmed to the Herald and The Age the duo were in demand.
“We’ve had four NRL clubs want their signatures and the Gold Coast Suns have tabled an offer for Teagan,” Rogers said. “They are freak talents. They could comfortably play and excel in all three codes.”
Alysia Lefau-Fakaosilea in the sevens World Cup final in Cape Town.Credit:Getty
Several players have successfully switched from rugby sevens to NRLW, including Olympic gold medallists Emma Tonegato and Evania Pelite. Sunday’s World Cup final victory over New Zealand is set to intensify the scramble for the sevens stars. Walsh said he welcomed the competition.
“The more professional women’s sports going on, the better for the game, the better for the sport,” he said. “We run a superior program that offers experiences and opportunities to be better [more] than any other sport. On top of that, we pay them as a centralised or full-time athlete, so we’re leading on that as well.”
Veteran Sharni Williams, who was named player of the match in the final, said she was likely to knock back overtures from other codes to stay in rugby, with a World Cup around the corner for the Wallaroos.
“I’ll go play the XVs World Cup and then, you know, sign another year for the sevens,” she said.
Australia celebrate their World Cup triumph.Credit:AP
Younger players including co-captain Demi Hayes, 24, and Faith Nathan, 22, said they still had a hunger to improve.
“We probably shouldn’t have let it come to that moment where there was a kick between a withdrawal and a win,” Nathan said of the nail-biting 24-22 World Cup final victory. “I think we can always do better.”
But leading into the preseason, Hayes said the team would also take time to relax.
“It’s the first big break in quite a while, so we’ll kind of kick our feet up, have a few beverages and celebrate the season that’s been,” she said. “Then after two and a half weeks, we want to get back into training.”
While the team is aiming for another gold medal at the upcoming Olympics, Walsh said the players were just as professional off the field as on it.
“You look at how they’re handling themselves off the field,” he said. “They’re uniquely Australian and they’re representing Australia in a beautiful way; by winning and just being genuinely humble athletes off the field.”
