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SVNS Series star on players’ ‘interest’ in pursuing Rugby World Cup move

Players of Australia celebrate victory after the final match between Australia and New Zealand on day two of the HSBC SVNS at The Sevens Stadium on December 01, 2024 in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. (Photo by Christopher Pike/Getty Images)

Australia captain Isabella Nasser has expressed excitement about the possibility of players from the HSBC SVNS Series switching to 15s ahead of the Women’s Rugby World Cup. The showpiece event in women’s rugby will be held in England from August 22 to September 27 next year.

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USA sevens superstar Ilona Maher, who has more Instagram followers than any other rugby player with 4.6 million, signed with Bristol Bears in England’s Premiership Women’s Rugby as the social media phenomenon sets her sights on the upcoming World Cup.

That signing announcement has already sparked significant interest in PWR, with earlier reports indicating the Bears may move from Shaftesbury Park to Ashton Gate for Maher’s potential debut against Gloucester-Hartpury which could be rescheduled for January 5.

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Maher isn’t the only SVNS Series product who has at least expressed an interest in switching sports ahead of the Rugby World Cup. Former Australia captain Charlotte Caslick spoke with RugbyPass and rugby.com.au in October about the potential switch to Super Rugby Women’s.

At the last Women’s Rugby World Cup in New Zealand, Stacey Waaka, Sarah Hirini, Theresa Setefano and Portia Woodman-Wickliffe all contributed to the Black Ferns’ incredible run to the title. It seems that more SVNS Seres players will look to replicate those heroics in 2025.

“It’s definitely of interest for lots of girls, not only in our team but all over the Series,” Nasser said on RugbyPass TV’s HSBC Life on Tour in Cape Town.

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“To play both games, both platforms at a high level is incredible and it would do so much for the sport. So, 100 per cent of interest.

“Obviously, we have to earn our way there but yeah, definitely of interest.

“… There’s so much talent in sevens that could definitely transfer over to 15s and I think it would be awesome for the game.”

From Nasser’s Australia side, Levi sisters Maddison and Teagan have both previously spoken about their desire to represent the Wallaroos at the World Cup. Both Levi’s are among the world’s best players in women’s sevens, as last weekend’s triumph in Dubai showed.

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Teagan led the way with some bone-crunching stops on the defensive side of the ball and some playmaking brilliance in attack. That paved the way for Maddison to do what she so often does, which as fans around the world know means scoring tries.

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The reigning World Rugby Women’s Sevens Player of the Year was a class about during Australia’s run to a fifth consecutive Dubai Sevens crown. Levi scored 15 tries across the two-day event, which is the most by any woman in a single SVNS Series tournament ever.

But as coach Tim Walsh pointed out in an interview during the quarter-final demolition of Olympic silver medallists Canada, it’s the players around Levi that allow the try-scoring machine to shine. It’s players like captain Nasser who lay the foundations.

Nasser never stopped running at Dubai’s The Sevens Stadium, with the skipper leading by example in both attack and defence. The Queenslander scored a decisive try in the Cup Final win over New Zealand – a true captain’s knock in a thriller against the team’s big rival.

“I’m super honoured to obviously take up the captaincy role,” Nasser reflected.

“As I said before, Charlotte stepped away and she was always going to be such an important part of our team and world rugby.

“I feel really honoured. I probably haven’t really thought about it properly and looked back to see my journey but I feel really supported by my coaches and my teammates to take up this role.”

Following the Dubai Sevens, the HSBC SVNS Series heads to Cape Town’s DHL Stadium for the second event of the season. The upcoming tournament in the Western Cape will be held this weekend from December 7 to 8.

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S
SK 1 hour ago
Frustrating end but UK tour sparks renewed optimism in Australia

Theres no doubt the progress that the Wallabies have made but this next year will be very challenging. 3 tests against the Lions and 2 against the Boks in SA. Add to that a tough Bledisloe and 2 tests against a dangerous Pumas outfit at home and well the challenge becomes clear. Australia have built more steel and some good rugby smarts this year. They are no longer pushovers and it now takes a 15 man, 80 minute effort to beat them. They have improved in the forwards dramatically and have built some great combos and are dangerous over the ball. Their backs are now firing with established options throughout and they have width and ball retention in their game. They have a quiet and strong determination and a hunger to stay in the fight even when on the backfoot for long periods. Its been a successful year for them and they have built belief and rekindled hope. Schmidt has put the systems in place and the players are well versed in his tactics and ideas now. To play and win against a quality Lions behemoth will require more. It requires a mettle and strength of character and belief that exists only at the top end of the game. It is the kind of character and belief that allows one to win matches against top teams despite the odds being stacked against you. The kind of character that wins world cups. The Wallabies are not the complete team yet, they are far from it. They have enough to be competitive with the Lions but probably not enough to beat them. If the Wallabies can get through next year having taken a few big scalps and having endured that rigorous and brutal schedule one feels they will be primed to take on the world in 2027. The Lions are exactly what they need now to test themselves against the best and build the character necessary to deliver an absolute spectacle in 2027.

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J
JW 1 hour ago
The All Blacks don't need overseas-based players

Playing time, once the players who developed locally expire out of the side.


Look at someone like Julian Montoya, started with Jaguares as 21/22 yo so of a mixed era, as is someone like Chocobares or Alborno who grew out of the opposite end of the SR era, into whatever else.


During this time it was a domestic only policy, and SA's was a few years earlier for their players. Basically a large majority of each side are still benefiting from being in a mix of eras imo. Until they're either all one of the other it's hard to deduce outcomes.


Not that I think SA are going to have anywhere near the amount of overseas players in the future that they do now, so it might be a mute point. But say they do have a dozen of similar such quality athletes decide to leave much earlier in their development, are they still going to be as great names as they are now?


Why? Man.. ok here goes

1. NZ already has the perfect means of doing that. Take someone too quickly above their current level and you're not going to get an accurate read on their potential. It will be a sink or swim enivronment.

2. More profit value in maximizing, and increase on, your teams 1.8 million fans. Your way reduces that shop window.

3. No costs will be subsidized, all players will receive the same AB component they don now

4. But you want have near as much control on any profit made if the players aren't 'yours'


I think if those things were beneficial they would be doing them. Only thing that will make eligibility change will no longer being able to hold onto your players (your suggested scenario) imo.


Would love to see a way to make it work, but I can only think it is in a very controlled manner, ie when you know there is that depth coming through that can make the step up, and NZR gets to monitor players, and or they are that 60/90 cap level for players you might consider more expendable, like Codie Taylor etc.

92 Go to comments
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