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'Wouldn't go a whole day without crying': The 'tough' decision 7s star had to make
By Finn Morton
At just 20-years-old, Australian Sevens star Maddison Levi has taken the World Series circuit by storm. To put it simply, her ceiling appears to be limitless.
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Levi has already proven herself to be one of the best Rugby Sevens talents in Australia, if not the world.
But the Queenslander, who has scored the most tries and points during this year’s Women’s World Series, could’ve gone down a very different sporting path.
After devoting herself to dance throughout her childhood, as she trained six hours a day after school, Levi began playing both Aussie Rules and rugby in Year 10 – and she hasn’t looked back.
Levi was a prodigy in both sports, having set the AFLW Draft combine record for the 20 metre sprint. The tall forward was later drafted by the Gold Coast Suns after coming through their Academy.
After a stellar first season in Aussie Rules, which saw her play all but one of the Suns’ matches, Levi was a shock selection for the Olympic Games. Australian Sevens coach John Manenti picked the rising star for the Games, just nine weeks after her final AFLW appearance.
“It was a pretty whirlwind year, everything kind of fell into place. I had a pretty lucky year,” Levi told RugbyPass.
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“COVID was unfortunate and impacted a lot of people but I can stay that it was kind of a blessing in disguise for me.
“Drafted in 2019 and then debuted for the Suns a year later, played that whole season.
“I originally got told by a few people that if I invested into AFL that my chances of making rugby were pretty slim afterwards, so I just thought ‘you don’t tell me no.’
“I went back and worked harder playing rugby on the site and just training, keeping up my skills, and then got brought into the Oceania team which in my eyes was a great opportunity to put my foot forward for a contract.
“Never did I imagine that I’d have John Manenti asking me to stay back and go to the Olympics with the girls, that’s for sure.”
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Levi has clearly travelled quite a unique path on her way to World Series stardom.
While looking back at it, she believes that pursuing a career in rugby was “definitely” the right decision, Levi had some tough days as she weighed up her future with the Gold Coast Suns.
But along with her sister Teagan, who was also impressive during the Sydney Sevens last month, Maddison was moved to the inactive list at the Suns after choosing rugby.
“It was definitely tough. There were days, like day in and day out, I definitely wouldn’t go a whole day without crying,” she added.
“You’re obviously so passionate, you train and work so hard, and to be able to have one opportunity let alone two is pretty astounding.
“Because I put so much into both sports, it was pretty tough to make a decision.
“Now, playing Sevens and after making the decision, I look back at my younger self and I think, ‘Why was the decision so hard?’
“Just the opportunity to travel the world and just the experiences we get, and just learning from cultures and just being able to play and wear that green and gold jersey.
“Without a doubt it was definitely a tough decision, but I’ve definitely made the right one.
“With AFL getting bigger and better, hopefully by the time I come back it’ll be a full-time sport.”
Australia are second on the World Series standings, but daylight separates them and leaders New Zealand after the recent tournament in Sydney.
The Black Ferns Sevens went on to win the Cup Final at Allianz Stadium with a commanding performance against underdogs France in the decider.
As for Levi and her team, they were eliminate by Les Bleus in the quarter-final stage – after captain Charlotte Caslick was controversially yellow carded.
With three tournaments to go, the race for a top four spot continues to heat up. Those teams will automatically qualify for next year’s Olympic Games in Paris.
Australia will be eager to return to winning ways early next month when the Sevens World Series heads to Vancouver on March 3-5.
