‘Wanted to keep playing’: SVNS star Maddison Levi on Wallaroos debut

HSBC SVNS Series star Maddison Levi didn’t want her Wallaroos debut to end, having come off the bench with 30 minutes left in a 66-19 defeat to the Black Ferns. “I wanted to keep playing,” Levi said post-game, having made a noticeable impact in limited time out on the field.

Levi is the all-time leading try-scorer for the Australia Women’s Sevens side, went to the Olympic Games in Tokyo and Paris, was named the 2024 World Rugby Sevens Player of the Year, and has won multiple SVNS Series events.

There are other accolades you can add to that list, such as winning a Rugby Sevens World Cup gold medal, being drafted by AFLW outfit the Gold Coast Suns, and now debuting for the Wallaroos. Levi has achieved some remarkable things in sport at just 24 years of age.

Levi was a headline-grabbing inclusion in the matchday side to face the Black Ferns, in what was the 100^th Test in Wallaroos history. The SVNS ace was selected on the bench, despite having not played any minutes in Super Rugby Women’s yet.

The debutant was brought on and made an immediate impact, making a tackle off a kick-off and leaping up to pilfer the ball. In 30 minutes, Levi finished the Test with an equal game-leading two turnovers won and more than 25 carry metres.

“It was obviously super special. I said all week, just to be involved in the 100^th [Wallaroos] Test match is something that I was so happy to be a part of,” Levi said post-game on Stan Sport.

“By the end of the game I was like, ‘Oh, is that it?’ I wanted to keep playing.”

Black Ferns winger Ayesha Leti-I’iga had just scored a try when Levi was brought into the Test off the bench, with both teams setting up for the restart. Tia Hinds stepped up to take the kick-off, just as the playmaker often does on the SVNS Series.

The Hinds-Levi kick-off combination has worked wonders for the Australia Sevens side, and the two were able to again link up, but this time in Wallaroos gold. Hinds sent the kick high into the Auckland sky, while Levi’s first few seconds on debut were spent chasing the ball.

Levi wasn’t able to get a hand to ball but did make the tackle, and then secured the previously mentioned turnover. The debutant’s impact off the bench seemed to give the Wallaroos a genuine spark of energy, as they wrestled back a fair share of possession.

“When I got out there I just wanted to be able to lift the energy and inject myself how I could,” Levi explained.

“Getting that ball back and being able to regain possession is something that was super crucial in that moment to try and shift the momentum.”

The Black Ferns fell just one point shy of their record number of points scored in a single match against the Wallaroos. They produced another statement performance under coach Whitney Hansen, having recorded three big wins in the Pacific Four Series earlier this year.

Waiaria Ellis showcased some individual flair to score for the Wallaroos in the second half, but the Black Ferns remained in control for the duration of the contest. Levi noted afterwards that the Wallaroos need to start better, as they look to build towards Women’s Rugby World Cup 2029.

“New Zealand, across sevens and 15s, they play with such an electric style of play,” she added.

“There were snippets in that where we had the momentum on our side and we probably just gave them a little execution and lost balls.

“To take out bits and pieces of that game, it’s really positive leading into obviously the ultimate goal of winning the 2029 World Cup. I think it’s something we should be proud of and just take that.”