Sevens won't go into 15 for try-machine Levi ahead of World Cup
Australian sevens star Maddi Levi will not play for the Wallaroos at the World Cup later this year after the prolific try-scorer withdrew from selection consideration.
On the day she named sevens converts Charlotte Caslick and Tia Hinds to make their starting debuts against New Zealand on Saturday, Wallaroos coach Jo Yapp revealed Levi and other sevens stars, including Teagan Levi and Bella Nasser, had made themselves unavailable for the national 15-a-side team.
Earlier in the year, nine sevens players elected to have a crack at making the Wallaroos' squad for August's World Cup, which entailed juggling a few games in Super Rugby Women with duties on the World Sevens Series. Caslick, Hinds and Bienne Terita then chose not to return to the sevens circuit to keep pushing for the World Cup.
Maddi Levi didn't play for the Reds due to a hand injury, but given her standing as the world's best women's sevens player, the Wallaroos were still planning for her to be involved in Tests this month ahead of the World Cup.
But Levi's manager, Mat Rogers, last month expressed reservation s about the switch, and suggested it would increase 'animosity' from the 15s players towards the sevens players.
'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 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.'
Yapp revealed on Thursday that the Levi sisters, Nasser, Kahli Henwood and Sariah Paki, had elected to take a break after the sevens season. Demi Hayes is also out after suffering another knee injury.
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