Rugby sevens star Maddi Levi is far more than Australia’s try machine because inspiring young girls just like she once was is all-important to her.
The speedy winger isn’t exactly a golden oldie at 21 herself but she understands first hand the magic of being acknowledged when impressionable and searching for a sporting path.
She is such a weapon for the champion Australian team at the Perth SVNS, she has been selected even though her coaches know a three-game suspension rules her out of Friday and Saturday preliminaries.
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It’s far less of a gamble when quality finishers like Bienne Terita and rookie speedster Kaitlin Shave will benefit from the extra exposure in pool play beside established flyer Faith Nathan.
Levi will be fit and ready to join the party for Sunday’s quarter-final should the Australians advance, as expected, from their Pool A games against Canada, South Africa and Great Britain.
Playing in front of a home crowd at HBF Park has Levi excited just as fans can’t wait to cheer the pacy wing talent who has raced over for 119 tries in her short career.
Rewind to 2016 and the glow of watching Australia’s golden girls of rugby sevens win Rio Olympics gold.
“I got into rugby the following year at my school, Miami State High, from a dance background. My sister Teagan and I got to watch the Aussie Sevens girls train in Brisbane,” Levi recalled of life in Queensland.
“Ellia Green was kind enough to show us her Olympic gold medal. Charlotte Caslick gave ‘Teags’ and I a pair of Aussie shorts.
“That was truly a gamechanger for us. It gave us the inspiration to play sevens. I always reply to message requests from young girls because I think of myself growing up. You don’t know how much of an impact things like that can have unless you’ve been that little girl.
“It’s unreal we now get to play with Charlotte.”
Levi paid it forward at the Dubai Sevens earlier this year when an ex-pat Aussie mum approached her.
“She told me I’d replied to her daughter on Instagram and how big an effect it had. That was lovely to hear so I went into our dressing room and gave her some training kit and a signed football to pass on at Christmas,” Levi added.
It’s just another sign of the power of sport which is a message that underpins the International Sports Promotion Society (ISPS Handa), a proud sponsor of Australia’s men’s and women’s sevens teams.
“I have met a few of the ISPS Handa people and it’s exciting to have supporters of the team who really want to grow the game of rugby sevens,” Levi said.
On the field, Levi’s powers are expanding. It’s not all to do with developing her defence to add to the long-striding gallops that produced try after try in the Dubai and Cape Town SVNS triumphs to open the 2023-24 season.
It’s having sister Teagan, 20, become one of the rising stars of the team with her ball-play, pilfers and high-energy involvement.
“People joke that Teags will always find me on the field. If she’s on a runaway, I’ll always be there in support. It’s cool we get to link up a lot on the field and sometimes we don’t even need to be speaking to know what the other is going to do,” Levi said.
Australia Women’s Sevens Pool Fixtures for the HSBC Perth SVNS
Friday 26 January
3:28pm: Australia v South Africa
8:27pm: Australia v Great Britain
Saturday 27 January
11:54am: Australia v Canada
Australia Men’s Sevens Pool Fixtures for the HSBC Perth SVNS
Friday 26 January
4:14pm: Australia v United States of America
9:13pm: Australia v Great Britain
Saturday 27 January
2:11pm: Australia v Ireland
*all times are AWST.
