Coach’s update on sevens players joining Wallaroos for Rugby World Cup

Wallaroos coach Jo Yapp has provided an update on whether members of Australia’s sevens squad will make the switch to 15s for next year’s Rugby World Cup. Australia have been drawn in Pool A along with hosts and world number one England, the USA and Samoa.

Three-time Olympian Charlotte Caslick has expressed an interest in making a headline-grabbing switch across codes, and so have Maddison and Teagan Levi. If players of that calibre did make the switch, that would certainly come as a boost to an already-improving Wallaroos outfit.

Australia started their era under coach Yapp with six losses from their first seven Tests of the year, but they managed to turn their fortunes around during WXV 2. The Wallaroos brought their international campaign to a close with three wins on the bounce.

Captain Michaela Leonard hoisted the WXV 2 title aloft at Athlone Stadium following Australia’s 31-22 win over Scotland last weekend. That was the team’s reward for their commitment, dedication and resilience during a tough campaign, as they continue to build for 2025.

Now that the Rugby World Cup pool draw has been held, the countdown to the showpiece event is well and truly underway. But, whether the Wallaroos end up calling upon some intriguing reinforcements from Australis’s champion sevens side remains to be seen.

“We’ve always said that is a conversation that is happening. It was a conversation we spoke about a few months ago in terms of an expression of interest and there are a few that are interested,” coach Yapp told reporters on Friday.

“Now we’re back from WXV, we’ll start those conversations and kind of map out what that looks like for them and for us because it’s important. We’ve really grown and developed as a squad… so how they’re integrated into our program is really important.

“… It’s really important that we get it right and I’ve been, I think, just being really transparent with the group is what that process looks like because, ultimately,, we want to make sure that we’re the best that we can be come the World Cup.

“If that includes some of the sevens players, it includes some of the sevens players. I said to the 15s girls that I’ll be transparent with them around what that process looks like and that’s really important with the players.”

Earlier this month, Charlotte Caslick spoke with RugbyPass and Rugby.com.au about a potential switch across codes to rugby union’s shorter format. The 2016 Rio Olympics gold medallist would like to give fullback a go, but she’s also happy to play any position.

There only appear to be two potential reasons that could stop Caslick from switching to 15s, and that starts with the SVNS Series schedule. Caslick would need to find time in between events to pursue 15s before likely returning to the Series.

Caslick also set a condition for making the move across codes. Australis’s rugby sevens captain only wants to play for the Queensland Reds in Super Rugby Women’s, so don’t expect to see Caslick lining up in the sky blue jersey of the Waratahs or another club.

“Yeah definitely, I’d still love to play,” Caslick told RugbyPass and Rugby.com.au.

“I’ve been talking to (coach) Andrew Fraser up in Queensland around playing Super W. I have said that if I play Super W, I’ll only play for Queensland. So I hopefully will get to do that at the start of next year, just to get some footy under our belts.

“But obviously, it’s hard aligning it with the SVNS Series. We obviously don’t have our full calendar yet.

“Definitely, it’s the goal. Hopefully, a lot of the sevens girls are looking towards the Rugby World Cup next year. I think it’s gonna be an amazing spectacle for women’s rugby so for us to be part of that would be really cool.”