{"id":590704,"date":"2026-08-20T16:44:11","date_gmt":"2026-08-20T16:44:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/590704\/"},"modified":"2026-08-20T16:44:11","modified_gmt":"2026-08-20T16:44:11","slug":"maddison-levi-wallaroos-debut-for-explosive-sevens-star-has-new-zealand-on-red-alert-australia-womens-rugby-union-team","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/590704\/","title":{"rendered":"Maddison Levi: Wallaroos debut for explosive sevens star has New Zealand on red alert | Australia women’s rugby union team"},"content":{"rendered":"

Maddison Levi is widely considered the most exciting rugby player in the country. But this weekend the Gold Coast 24-year-old is a \u201cvulnerable\u201d rookie as she faces up to the biggest challenge of her career: finally making her hotly-anticipated debut in the 15-a-side game for Australia in a historic Test against New Zealand on Saturday.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m really excited,\u201d Levi says. \u201cRepresenting Australia in two codes is a pretty special achievement and this is a new environment and a massive challenge. I know I\u2019ll probably make mistakes out there and I\u2019m feeling pretty vulnerable but I\u2019ve always set myself high standards and this is about me becoming a better player.\u201d<\/p>\n

Levi will debut off the bench in the Wallaroos\u2019 100th Test as a women\u2019s rugby nation in Auckland. The first of those internationals, in September 1994 at North Sydney Oval, was also against this weekend\u2019s opposition, the Black Ferns, and resulted in a 37-0 loss. In the 30 Tests and 32 years since, Australia have never won.<\/p>\n

If the Wallaroos ever needed a talisman to change their fortunes, it\u2019s Maddison Levi. \u201cBut there are no expectations on me here,\u201d she says. \u201cI\u2019m still in the development phase with a lot to learn. In 15s there\u2019s more bodies on the field and a lot less space to move. But I\u2019m a confidence player and I\u2019ll find a way to adapt in the big moments.\u201d<\/p>\n

Levi in typical pose on the sevens pitch. Photograph: Romain Perrocheau\/AFP\/Getty Images<\/p>\n

That confidence is evident in Levi\u2019s explosive running. But it also comes from within. Despite being 2024 World Sevens player of the year and Australia\u2019s reigning record tryscorer in the format, the 24-year-old has worked hard to better herself off the field.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe had a psych with us during the 2024 Olympics who helped me understand the pressure I was feeling to perform,\u201d she says. \u201cI always had this feeling that my luck was about to run out. But now I know that the harder I work the \u2018luckier\u2019 I\u2019ll get.<\/p>\n

\u201cPressure is a privilege and I\u2019ve learned anxiety and excitement are the same feeling interpreted a different way by the brain. So I\u2019ve worked really hard on visualising what I want to achieve. And that\u2019s allowed me to enjoy the errors and the vulnerability I\u2019ve felt this week because I know they\u2019re stepping stones to getting it right in the future.\u201d<\/p>\n

Modesty aside, when Levi runs onto the Mount Smart Stadium on Saturday, New Zealand will be on red alert. In June, she heroically defied a grade-two medial ligament injury to her knee to score twice in the final against the Kiwis in Bordeaux, helping Australia clinch the title of sevens world champions. It showed her teammates the Black Ferns can be beaten.<\/p>\n

\u201cUltimately it was my decision to tell the coaches if I thought I was ready,\u201d she says. \u201cYes, I\u2019m still raw and need to be in 15s longer to get a true handle on the game. And yes, I\u2019d have liked more games under my belt before debuting but I back myself and all the girls and the coaches have been great in getting around me to teach me.\u201d<\/p>\n

Levi is the brightest of the sevens stars to switch to 15s as Rugby Australia aligns its formats ahead of a home Women\u2019s World Cup tilt in the 15s format in 2029 and a Brisbane Olympics sevens campaign in 2032. She joins fellow short-format converts Tia Hinds, Alysia Lefau-Fakaosilea and Bienne Terita in Saturday\u2019s Test squad.<\/p>\n

Levi attempted to make this leap ahead of 2025 World Cup but withdrew at the 11th hour. \u201cIt was the right call and I have no regrets. The World Cup is a big deal and I didn\u2019t want to come in cold and take the position of someone who\u2019d been working hard in that environment for a long time. I want to earn my spot, same as everyone else.\u201d<\/p>\n

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She has now done that, although it took the backing of her coach Tim Walsh to do it. \u201cWalshy has helped shape my career and he was the one who put me up to this. Deep down I didn\u2019t think I\u2019d transition as quickly as this. I kind of thought I\u2019d be running around the field like a headless chicken. His push was essential. He believes in me.\u201d<\/p>\n

Maddison Levi says her sister Teagan (left) has been a constant support throughout her career. Photograph: Don Arnold\/Getty Images for ARU<\/p>\n

Also in her corner is Levi\u2019s sister, Teagan, with whom she has shared many sevens glories but who is now on her own journey of growth via a NRLW sabbatical with the Gold Coast Titans. Yet both the Levi sisters are signed to remain in rugby until 2029.<\/p>\n

Diverging from Teagan after five years together on the sevens circuit has been an important step, says Maddison. \u201cI love doing everything with Teagan, but it\u2019s been awesome to watch her grasp her chance in the NRLW. It\u2019ll be a little bittersweet not to be lining up alongside her this weekend but that chance will come, I\u2019m sure.<\/p>\n

\u201cShe\u2019ll still be kicking my head after the game, saying \u2018why didn\u2019t you do this, why\u2019d you do that?\u2019\u201d laughs Levi. \u201cBut she\u2019ll also give me the softer side, picking me up if I\u2019m down. It\u2019s good to have a sister like her. We know when to critique and comfort each other. She\u2019s a source of truth and inspiration for me. I try to be the same for her.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Maddison Levi is widely considered the most exciting rugby player in the country. But this weekend the Gold…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":590705,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[9],"tags":[85,46,105],"class_list":["post-590704","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-sports","tag-il","tag-israel","tag-sports"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/590704","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=590704"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/590704\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/590705"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=590704"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=590704"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=590704"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}