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The Age
08-05-2025
- Sport
- The Age
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.
Sydney Morning Herald
08-05-2025
- Sport
- Sydney Morning Herald
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.
News.com.au
02-05-2025
- Sport
- News.com.au
Sevens star Charlotte Caslick enjoying being out of her ‘comfort zone' with the Wallaroos
Sevens star Charlotte Caslick says playing in this year's Women's Rugby World Cup in England would be an 'amazing experience' as she prepares for her expected Wallaroos debut on Saturday. An Olympic Games gold medallist, Caslick has been named on Australia's bench for the clash against Fijiana in Suva. 'I am really proud of myself,' she said. 'Being 30 years old and putting myself in a new environment, and out of your comfort zone, is always challenging. 'The way that I've gone about it was a little bit different to the other sevens girls, and I did a lot of it on my own.' Caslick – who can be used at fullback, on the wing or as a fly half – pulled out of the second half of the World Series Sevens tour this year and played for the Queensland Reds in the Super Rugby Women's competition. 'It's been a little bit daunting at times, but I've been so well welcomed into the groups that I've joined, so I really haven't felt out of place at all, which is a credit to both the (Reds and Wallaroos) program,' she said. 'Watching the 15-a-side game grow and develop, I was at a point in my career where I was really up for a challenge and something new. 'I love rugby, so I wanted to put my best foot forward to be a part of this squad. A rugby World Cup would be an amazing experience.' Caslick said she would eventually return to sevens and hoped to play both formats of the sport as 'much as possible'. 'It's super important that the sevens girls do open their minds up to being involved in this (Wallaroos) program because ultimately it just makes them better footy players and Australian rugby stronger,' she said. Your first 23 for ’25 🦘 🆚 Fiji ðŸ�Ÿï¸� HFC Bank Stadium, Suva ðŸ•' Saturday 3 May | 3:00PM AEST ðŸ'° @StanSportAU #Wallaroos — Wallaroos (@WallaroosRugby) May 1, 2025 National coach Jo Yapp said the likes of Caslick and fellow sevens star Tia Hinds, who is also set to make her Wallaroos debut on Saturday, were creating more depth in Australia's talent pool. 'The energy they've brought in and how the girls have embraced them … it's genuinely a great opportunity,' Yapp said. 'Charlotte's been behind the laptop. She's really wanting to develop her game and this is really exciting.' Caslick said was 'learning a lot' in 'every single session'. 'Now that I'm a bit out of my comfort zone, I feel like everyone's doing the best they can to prepare me and help me get comfortable with my role,' she said. 'It's been challenging. There's a lot of new language to learn and a lot of information coming my way, but … the challenge is great. 'As a rugby player, I'm developing.'
Perth Now
28-04-2025
- Sport
- Perth Now
Wallaroos' big selection call as Caslick settles in
Wallaroos flyhalf Arabella McKenzie has been left out of the squad to face Fiji, as sevens convert Charlotte Caslick ticks all the boxes ahead of a potential Test debut. Coach Jo Yapp reduced the 40-player squad by 10 on Monday, ahead of the side's Test against Fijiana on Saturday in Suva. Olympic gold medallist Caslick was among those retained, but NSW Waratahs playmaker McKenzie was a notable omission. Faitala Moleka, Lori Cramer and Tia Hinds, a sevens teammate of Caslick, will instead jostle for the No.10 jersey, while Caslick eyes a potential start at fullback or off the bench. Bienne Terita is the third sevens talent in the squad, an initiative that's led to suggestions of disharmony as the program looks to bolster itself ahead of this year's World Cup in England. But veteran back-rower Emily Chancellor dismissed any notion of a rift, heaping praise on the "newcomers" after their impressive starts to the Canberra training camp. "Often you get fear and nervousness, which comes out in looser rugby, or they go within their shells," she said. "But they've come in with a desire to be a part of it and felt involved. "I'm blown away by their quality ... taking on board the environment, being sponges to the 15s game. "Charlotte has been so open and keen to learn, asking questions, making mistakes, changing the behaviours. "All three of those sevens girls have really committed to being part of this squad and there isn't any divide, nothing to be worried or talked about. "They're here to be 15s players and put their best foot forward, like everyone else." Chancellor said she hadn't discussed McKenzie's omission with Yapp but that, with seven Tests before their World Cup opener, it didn't mean the door had been closed on her. The Wallaroos finished 2024 in winning form in South Africa, but lost six of their first seven games of the year, including by 48 and 64 points to New Zealand. Currently ranked No.6 in the world, the Australians have only reached the semi-finals once in seven World Cup campaigns. "Often, if we've had time away from this international environment, it feels like we have to start again," Chancellor said of the side's intent to improve this year. "This time there's been conversation about how we're starting where we left off." Katalina Amosa, Ruby Anderson, Ashley Fernandez, Martha Fua, Manu'a Moleka and Faliki Pohiva are the other uncapped players in the squad. Star centre Georgina Friedrichs will have her run of 29 consecutive Test appearances ended by a finger injury suffered in the Super Rugby Women's decider.
Perth Now
24-04-2025
- Sport
- Perth Now
Levi being 'set up to fail' in rushed Cup bid: Rogers
Mat Rogers doesn't want Maddison Levi to play in this year's Women's Rugby World Cup, arguing that the sevens star is being "set up to fail". Levi has never played 15-a-side rugby and dual international Rogers, Levi's agent, doesn't think the try-scoring whiz has enough time to adapt if added to the Wallaroos' squad ahead of August's showpiece in England. She had planned to debut for the Queensland Reds in this season's Super Rugby Women's competition but was sidelined by a hand injury. Sister Teagan and fellow sevens talents Kahli Henwood and Bella Nasser all played twice for the Reds before returning to the sevens program that remains their priority. But veteran Charlotte Caslick committed fully to 15s and, along with ACT Brumbies pair and fellow sevens Olympians Bienne Terita and Tia Hinds, was named in this week's 40-player Wallaroos squad. They could be selected to play Fijiana on May 3 - the same weekend as the Los Angeles world sevens finale - the first of seven Tests before their World Cup opener on August 23. Coach Jo Yapp can tweak that squad though and it's expected more sevens players will be included and available to face USA on May 17. That would leave any newcomers five Tests to push their Cup cases and train exclusively in the 15s program. Levi said this month she was "hopeful" of playing for the Wallaroos in England later this year. The 22-year-old has torn the world sevens tour to shreds, notching her 200th try in just her 26th tournament earlier this month. Unstoppable on the wing, Levi's size and height could see her employed in the second row as a 15s lineout weapon for a Wallaroos side already flush with talented outside backs. Yapp on Tuesday said it would be "unfair" on Levi to rush her into a Test debut, given her inexperience, and that they wanted "to make sure we're setting Maddi up for success". That plan might need adjusting after former league and union international Rogers' remarks, though. "I just don't think it's an appropriate step to take now," Rogers said on Stan Sport's Inside Line program. "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. "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. "I think this one, through an unfortunate set of circumstances, is going to get away and the 2029 (World Cup in Australia) is the one that's got to be focused on."
