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Maddison Levi and Eva Karpani receive accolades at Rugby Australia Awards
Maddi Levi and Eva Karpani have been recognised for their standout performances last year at the Rugby Australia Awards in Sydney this week.
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Sevens superstar Levi was presented with the Shawn Mackay Award for Women’s Sevens Player of the Year after a year in which she was a key asset in securing Paris 2024 qualification, scoring a record 57 tries in the 2022/23 season along the way.
In addition, she was also a nominee for World Rugby Women’s Sevens Player of the Year last year.
Levi said after receiving the award in Sydney: “It was a pretty exciting year for me. I guess I’ve just grown as a player and an athlete and I continue to build on that so to top it off with those accolades, it just shows how hard that I am working off the field. Once again I probably couldn’t have done it without the girls beside me, they set me up and make my job look a lot easier than it is.
“We work so hard on that strength and power and speed so those skills I’m just building on as a player which makes it easier to take the outside. That’s something I’ve always had, the ability to back myself on the outside and then if all else fails I can carry strong. Whilst building that speed and power I can continue to build on my game.”
The 21-year-old also reflected on the 2023/24 HSBC SVNS series so far which has seen her team secure victories in the first two rounds in Dubai and Cape Town.
Despite opening-round elation, two red cards for dangerous tackles have seen Levi sidelined for portions of the games that followed.
She said: “It’s a bit of an emotional rollercoaster. Dubai and Cape Town were such unreal tournaments for me and I just showcased what I had been working on in pre-season. Two little setbacks, but as I said I’ve got the girls who are like my sisters beside me and they’ve helped me deal with it and they came out and absolutely smashed Perth facing so much adversity and Walshy [Tim Walsh] as well.
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“It’s good because I’ve got something to work on, tackle technique is definitely a main focus of my training now. I guess it’s the highs and lows of sport, and you’ve got to experience them all. Last year was so good, so a little bit of adversity now but I’ll be back better than ever.”
Fellow countrywoman Karpani was awarded Wallaroos Player of the Year for the first time after a breakthrough year.
The barnstorming tighthead prop scored three tries in Australia’s memorable victory over France and contributed a magnificent solo try against Wales in the inaugural WXV 1 tournament last October and November.
In addition, she started all eight Tests in 2023 and was named in the top five for carries for any player during WXV 1.
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“To be honest, I was just happy to be here, happy to be with the girls and to reunite after a year. I don’t think an award really shows how much the team has done in this past year so I’m genuinely humbled and grateful,” the award winner said.
“Because of the players who have come before us, we’ve been able to build to where we are now. We’ve learned a lot along the way and with the senior team we have now, I have strong hope in them to enable us to have a a stronger connection for the upcoming years.
“I’d love to change the image of a tighthead prop that we can be versatile and agile, not just a powerful ball runner,” she added.
After some stellar results in 2023 for Australia’s women’s teams, this year stands as vital preparation for 15s teams globally in the build-up to the Women’s Rugby World Cup 2025.
“I have so much confidence in this team and it’s going to be hard work but I have all the confidence in the world for us to build in a pre-World Cup year,” Karpani said.
“What got us there [beating France] firstly was belief but after the game we had against France it was just a lot of backing even more. We had our supporters backing us since day one but it was just an electric feeling in the changing rooms afterwards. It was exciting to see genuinely what we could do in this year [before RWC2025].
With the Pacific Four Series fast approaching and Jo Yapp now in place as the Wallaroos’ new head coach, Karpani also looks forward to learning from the former England captain’s experience as a player and a coach.
“She brings experience as she was a player for England. She has captained her country. It would be nice to gain knowledge from her as a player,” she added.
From the men’s teams, Henry Paterson was awarded the Shawn Mackay Award for Men’s Sevens Player of the Year, and Rob Valetini won the John Eales Medal to complete the major awards.
Comments on RugbyPass
SBW’s bro’town commentary and lazy default to hyperbole should be ignored, a technical analyst he is not. Sotutu is a good player when games get goosey loosey, high skill set that fans of Zinzan recall with starry eyes. But you need power and mongrel at no8 in the Test arena and Sotutu gets found wanting there, much like Akira Ioane. No8’s like Zinzan and Ardie have bucketloads of mongrel and power and tenacity which allow the skill sets to flourish.
11 Go to commentsAn inside pass to attacker on the angle can make a drift defence look lead footed. Relies on fleet footed forward/s to get across from the breakdown. An argument for the smaller faster 7 perhaps?
3 Go to commentsSensational tackle. The reds one was late and rightly penalised. The other two were simultaneous with the pass. If nitpicking TMOs can’t find fault there clearly isn’t any.
1 Go to commentsBrumbies fully deserved their win on the back of their physicality and desire to control the ball. Xavier Numia, Asafo Aumua and Tyrel Lomax should be the ABs starting front row when we start our test schedule. They have “come of age” and have bested all they have faced as well as been dominant with ball in hand in making the gainline. With De Groot, Tamaiti Williams and Fletcher Newell backed up by Taukei'aho and Cody Taylor there's not an international front row that can trouble us. Can't wait to face the Boks over there, won't be no one point game this time.
5 Go to commentsKinda strange that he wasn’t with a premiership team or a higher level of rugby? Start playing late or something? With that kind of size and athleticism you’d think someone would have picked him up?
2 Go to commentsShows how much attitude matters. Last week the Brumbies got done, this week they dominated the tournament leaders, who were likely thinking they could cruise to victory.
5 Go to commentsA Turtle has more pace and leg drive than Owen Franks, so it’s a good thing he only had to run 90 metres for that try.
2 Go to commentsOh Tamati Tua was in the vastly over-rated Leon MacDonalds Blues system? Well, no wonder he was wasted, much like Emoni Narawa and Jacob Ratumaitavuki-Kneepkens under MacDonald. now look at them. Good thing Tua isn’t eligible, the Aussies latch on to any player who isn’t tied down.
5 Go to commentsMark Telea is a lot of things, but a defensive juggernaut has never been one of them. There will be far bigger tests in that regard for the youngster.
11 Go to commentsLove and respect to Fiji but not a chance outside of 7s
4 Go to commentsGood summation Ned. Agree the Canes were out-muscled for once (except at the scrum!) by a focused Brumbies outfit. Tua deserves consideration for higher honors after the way he humbled Jordie and the Canes defense. Thankfully, his lack of eligibility for Oz keeps him from Joe’s plans. While I also agree the injuries affected the Canes performance, some players seemed to lack focus and intensity for this match. Perhaps after the Blues demolished the Brumbies, they thought it was going to be easy? A good reminder that any slip up in preparation can have a big affect on the result. Brumbies deserved that win.
5 Go to commentsKarl Dixon should never have been appointed this fixture, absolute disgrace, He’s not much of a referee anyway, didn't have the balls to send his mate care off
5 Go to commentsBrilliant article! Harry of 8/9
3 Go to comments‘UK athletes' have been in the NFL from the start.
2 Go to commentsIt’s going to be Scott Barrett. He’s the coaches mate and captain of a previously elite team. Ardie a great option but scooter has worked with the coach and Ardie still as big a leader as needed.
23 Go to commentsI commend Colin Scotts bio All Balls. He was the first Aussie to make it to NFL. But he was poached and did a full apprenticeship at the University of Hawaii. He was 130kgs surfed played 1st grade cricket etc. big guy by normal but not NFL standards and a top athlete. Even then the nfl were picking up Tongans and Samoans for their natural size and explosive power. They want explosive power not cardio from the big boys so a guy like Taniela Tupou would have been good if picked up young enough. He has fast twitch and they’d bulk the little lad up and give him something to do. soccer teams set up academies and look for Over Sara’s talent eg Messi was at Barcelona since a teenager and harry kewell went to Leeds as a teenager like 16 or something.
11 Go to commentsThe article alludes to the fact that this isn’t about picking a captain. But picking a great captain. So who would make for a great All Black captain - not just an obvious or safe shoo-in? I’m not sure Ardie’s the guy and Barret doesn’t stand out either.
23 Go to commentsI guess we may all agree on the fact, that the ABs and Boks are the two in contest for No 1 in rugby history (the triple-A sort of) …. the Wallabies, England and France are the next tier, with Ireland being the new kid in town (AA) …. in my view it makes little sense creating imaginary competitions (unless you have too much time to waste)
45 Go to commentsWhat a joke. Total joke and the pundits commentating, all of whom know a bit about the game, could barely disguise their contempt. Reaching for the card then pulling back when he realised a red card would carry further match suspensions is simply not his decision to make. A clear and obvious influence on the outcome of this match and indeed, the championship path.
5 Go to commentsI like the idea, in NZ the Ranfurly Shield and NPC coexist, both having their own bragging rights. The World Cup would be the pinnacle, but the competition and travels of these trophies would be interesting.
45 Go to comments