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Jorja Miller and Maddison Levi to miss rest of SVNS Perth through suspension

Jorja Miller of New Zealand runs the ball to a try during the 2024 Perth SVNS women's match between Ireland and New Zealand at HBF Park on January 26, 2024 in Perth, Australia. (Photo by Will Russell/Getty Images)

New Zealand’s Jorja Miller and Australia’s Maddison Levi will miss the rest of SVNS Perth after being sent off for separate incidents during a thrilling quarter-final on Saturday afternoon.

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Miller, 19, signed the longest women’s contract in New Zealand rugby history last year and the teenager repaid the faith with a strong start to the 2023/24 season.

Unfortunately for the New Zealander, she will take no further part in the competition on Australia’s west coast after being handed a three-match ban for a high shot against Australia.

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Black Fern Jazmin Felix-Hotham talks to RugbyPass and delivers one of the all-time interviews | Perth SVNS

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Black Fern Jazmin Felix-Hotham talks to RugbyPass and delivers one of the all-time interviews | Perth SVNS

Referee Craig Chan had no choice but to send Miller off during the first half of the quarter-final at HBF Park. The Kiwis went down to six players against the SVNS Series leaders.

Australia raced into a 12-nil lead after ties to Faith Nathan and Madison Ashby, but then disaster struck. Try-scoring machine Maddison Levi was sent off for the second time in as many games.

Levi, who was sent off in the SVNS Cape Town final last month, joins her sister Teagan on the sidelines. Teagan was sent off for a high tackle late on the opening day in Perth.

Both Miller and Levi have been found to have breached Law 9.13 (dangerous tackle) and have been handed bans that will see them miss the final day in Australia.

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Miller was handed a three-game ban after the judiciary considered mitigating factors including her clean record, the acceptance of the card and her young age.

But Levi has been handed a heavier four-match ban. The judiciary considered her acknowledgment of foul play but Levi’s recent red card for a similar incident was a factor.

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Levi’s suspension is a concern for hometown favourites Australia. It’s their fourth red card in three tournaments. On top of being sent off twice herself, sister Tegan and teammate Alysia Lefau-Fakaosilea have also seen red this season.

“We’ve been working on getting our tackle height down but I guess for Teags, she was going in with some really good intent and I’d never discourage her from the intent that she has,” Australia captain Charlotte Caslick told reporters on Friday night.

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“With the way that they’re policing the tackle laws now we have to make sure that last moment, we’re dipping into contact.

“It might be a record I think. Three tournaments and three red cards.

“We say that courage is our currency and it’s the backbone of this team and working hard,” she said.

“The next part of that is probably just being a bit smarter and we can’t just be good athletes, we’ve got to be good footballers too.

“I think next steps forward is just learning from our mistakes. (Coach Tim Walsh) likes to say we’re either winning or we’re learning so we’ll definitely take a few things out of that.”

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Bull Shark 2 hours ago
Rassie Erasmus' Boks selection policy is becoming bizarre

To be fair, the only thing that drives engagement on this site is over the top critiques of Southern Hemisphere teams.


Or articles about people on podcasts criticizing southern hemisphere teams.


Articles regarding the Northern Hemisphere tend to be more positive than critical. I guess to also rile up kiwis and Saffers who seem to be the majority of followers in the comments section. There seems to be a whole department dedicated to Ireland’s world ranking news.


Despite being dialled into the Northern edition - I know sweet fokall about what’s going on in France.


And even less than fokall about what’s cutting in Japan - which has a fast growing, increasingly premium League competition emerging.


And let’s not talk about the pacific. Do they even play rugby Down there.


Oh and the Americas. I’ve read more articles about a young, stargazing Welshman’s foray into NFL than I have anything related to either the north and south continents of the Americas.


I will give credit that the women’s game is getting decent airtime. But for the rest and the above; it’s just pathetic coming from a World Rugby website.


Just consider the innovation emerging in Japan with the pedigree of coaches over there.


There’s so much good we could be reading.


Instead it’s unimaginative “critical for the sake of feigning controversial”. Which is lazy, because in order to pull that off all you need to be really good at is:


1. Being a doos;

2. Having an opinion.


No prior experience needed.


Which is not journalism. That’s like all or most of us in the comments section. People like Finn (who I believe is a RP contributor).


Anyway. Hopefully it will get better. The game is growing and the interest in the game is growing. Maybe it will attract more qualified journalists over time.

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