Australian sevens star Maddison Levi is being “set up to fail” and her switch to play XVs would only fuel further animosity if she entered Wallaroos camp ahead of the Women’s Rugby World Cup.
That’s the view of Levi’s agent and former Wallaby Mat Rogers, who has expressed concerns about his client’s mooted switch from sevens to XVs this year.
The Wallaroos are planning for Levi to make herself available next month to play Tests before the World Cup, starting in August, but might need to re-evaluate after Rogers’ latest remarks.
Rogers, a dual international for Australia in league and union, said he had serious reservations about Levi being parachuted into the Wallaroos program with limited preparation or game time in the 15-a-side format.
“I just don’t think it’s an appropriate step to take now,” Rogers said on Stan Sport’s Inside Line program. “I’m speaking from Maddi’s perspective purely out of care for her. I don’t want her to be set up to fail, and I think that’s what’s happening if they pursue it further this year.
“I would love to see nothing more than Maddi go over there and dominate, and Australia win the World Cup. I just think through injury and circumstance, it’s going to be tough this year.
“I don’t think she can [make the transition] in the time. She’s not going to have enough game time. It’s just unfair on her, and it’s unfair on the squad to throw her in there and expect her to be a world-beater that she is in sevens. It’s too much pressure.
Maddison Levi poses with the Shawn Mackay Award for women’s sevens player of the year at the 2024 Rugby Australia Awards. Credit: Getty Images
“I think this one, through an unfortunate set of circumstances, is going to get away and [the] 2029 [World Cup] is the one that’s got to be focused on.”
The plan was for Levi, arguably the best sevens player in the world, to play some XVs rugby for the Queensland Reds earlier this year, but that fell through when she broke her hand in January.
The 22-year-old is contracted with the Australian sevens team and will play for them in the LA Sevens tournament early next month. From there, the expectation has been that Levi will come into Wallaroos camp and push for selection.
Teagan Levi, Charlotte Caslick and Maddison Levi in December after signalling their intent to play for the Wallaroos this year.Credit: Dion Georgopoulos
Levi could have made herself available for the Wallaroos’ opening Test next month by skipping the final sevens event of the season. Whether she will commit to XVs remains unclear.
Her inclusion would bolster the Wallaroos’ chances of making their first World Cup final. Australia have only made one semi-final from seven World Cup appearances.
However, if Levi was picked for Australia without playing a single XVs match, it might not go down well with her new teammates.
Wallaroos 2025 Test schedule
Australia v Fiji, May 3, 3pm, HFC Bank Stadium, Suva
Australia v New Zealand, May 10, 3pm, McDonald Jones Stadium, Newcastle
Australia v US, May 17, 4.55pm, GIO Stadium, Canberra
Australia v Canada, May 23, 4.55pm, Suncorp Stadium, Brisbane
Australia v New Zealand, July 12, 2.30pm, Sky Stadium, Wellington
Australia v Wales, July 26, 2pm, Ballymore Stadium, Brisbane
Australia v Wales, August 1, 7pm, North Sydney Oval
WORLD CUP
Australia v Samoa, August 23, 9pm, Salford Community Stadium, Manchester
Australia v US, August 31, 4.30am, York Community Stadium, York
Australia v England, September 7, 2am, Brighton and Hove Stadium, Brighton and Hove
All times are AEST.
Wallaroos coach Jo Yapp said on Tuesday she did not believe the inclusion of high-profile sevens players – such as Levi, Charlotte Caslick and Tia Hinds – would create tension in camp with regular XVs players vying for World Cup spots.
However, Rogers has hinted at existing friction, revealing there had already been issues during Super W involving sevens players. Levi and her sister Teagan were both signed to the Reds, though only Teagan played – in just one match.
“I just think we should let the sevens girls do what they do, and the 15s [do what they do], then right before the World Cup just say to all sevens girls, yeah, you can go and play in the 15s and see if it doesn’t create any animosity between the players. Because that’s what’s happened this year, and it wasn’t pretty,” Rogers said.
“I’m being facetious there, but it’s been unfair on the sevens girls and unfair on the XVs girls.
Mat Rogers in full for flight for the Wallabies in the 2003 World Cup final.Credit: Steve Cristo
“I just know as a player, if I’m busting my butt in the XVs team, and all of a sudden you get these seven or eight girls go, oh, I want to play XVs … I would have been absolutely filthy.”
After the Fiji fixture early next month, the Wallaroos have three more Tests in May against New Zealand, the US and Canada.
Levi could feasibly play in three Tests for Australia before the World Cup begins on August 23, but the likelihood of that appears to be fading by the day.
“Ultimately, we want to make sure we’re setting Maddi up for success,” Yapp said this week. “Bringing her straight in to play a Test match without any real XVs exposure or experience … wouldn’t be fair on her. If we’re bringing her in, we need to give her opportunities to train with the group first.
“We know that we’ve got a strong back line that has been performing well. When you look at Maya [Stewart], Desi [Desiree Miller], G Fred [Georgina Friedrichs] and C Smith [Cecilia Smith] … they’re strong players for us. What it does is allow us to create some depth in areas that we’ve not had.”
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