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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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T
TT 40 minutes ago
France snubbing New Zealand tour shows the difference in priorities

Reading this article is like reading someone having a mental breakdown.


European rugby is in endless bankruptcies,  its national sides in endless RWC failings & some of its clubs are only season to season financial propositions BUT, according to the author’s conspiracies, its New Zealand Super Pacific Rugby that, quote, ‘simply isn’t a competition people should take seriously’ (??!!).


That idea while New Zealand Super Pacific Rugby participant clubs continue to profit after 130+ years (& similar traditional Oz club longevity).


Yet it's NZ/Oz rugby that has the viability problem!???


Reality is difficult for you author. See a doctor. Urgently!


But the author's mad rant continues, with the insistence that the way to fix his conspiracy of a sick  Super Pacific Rugby is for it to let all its top players run away OS (surprise, surprise, to Europe to fix its club rugby) by removing OS restrictions  of its best players.


Hurry call an ambulance for the author.


It's simple, a mass exodus of high skill therefore high entertainment players (will that even happen?? ie again given the increasing European restrictions & financial stress in European clubs) will kill the core business of INTEREST in NZ comps & therefore lose the life blood $ of those same TV rights, sponsorships, gate entry, memberships, merchandise, etc. Mass loss in  audience INTEREST & its resulting $$ loss.


RE the French B team for NZ 2025 tests,


If you wanna see where test rugby could end up as (ie 2nd rate) if it continues to allow the  French mismanagement, look at what ‘Indian club cricket money’ control  is doing to test cricket, ie because of A international test team players contracts with  Indian clubs & their $, those players not available for international tests eg South Africa send a ‘B’ test cricket team to NZ last year, likewise West  Indies send a ‘B’ test cricket team to OZ last year.


Relevance to test  rugby & ABs? 

France's reason for not sending their A team for the AB tests in 2025? Quote, 'resting them (!) for the Top 14 club rugby commitments'.


World Rugby is failing to manage & protect the game again.


France CHOSE to make its extra long Top 14  season & not respect the World rugby international window.


France should be removed from test rugby til they do respect it.


Or test rugby will be like failing test cricket very soon by letting national club $ rule over the international game.


If World Rugby allows the degrading of international game it will degrade audience (therefore ratings ), will degrade the $, hence will degrade the $ to players & rugby generally.


World Rugby, Prioritise the international window OVER national club window.


Especially over (despite all it endless irrational hype) failing European club rugby.

76 Go to comments
N
NH 4 hours ago
海外選抜は、ブリティッシュ&アイリッシュ・ライオンズに違いをもたらすのでしょうか?

Nice one nick and thanks for this. I think there are two things here 1) is that teams are probably now prepared and ready for this shape on the exits, and 2) the wbs seemed to go into their shell a bit vs scotland/ireland and reduced their exit variety. In previous games, the wallabies did really well imo in mixing their exits up between kicking out on the full, contested box kicks, cross field bombs, midfield chips, and run it via the shape you show. Not all of them worked but it puts opposition backfield in 2 minds imo. Vs england, they also seemed to have a clear plan to keep the ball in play to keep it uptempo whereas ireland and scotland they put it out. I think that schmidt might need to add some variety to this shape by maybe either having wright/ikitau kicking it down that openside wing if they feel its not on, hitting one of the forward pod runners and playing phase 2 etc etc. This begs the Q for me - if gordon is getting no extra distance on his exits which is his point of difference, should we just start tate and come up with an alternate exit strategy? And the other part - what are you seeing after these exits? ie gordon puts it out, ireland throw in and then??? Here, I feel like the wallabies can't piggyback out of there half by forcing an error/turnover. Against the boks, I remember the wbs defended relatively well but it was just like waves on a rock wall, the boks kept coming, wallabies somehow get the ball and kick it out, boks lineout and 5 phases later wbs are back on their line defending and hanging on by a thread. These teams can still keep possession too easily imo and put the wbs under pressure rather than the other way around.

13 Go to comments
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