Aussie sevens star crowned world’s best

Try-scoring machine Maddison Levi has capped a stunning season after she was named World Rugby Women’s Sevens player of the year, becoming the third Australian to win the award that will only lead to more interest from rival codes.

After being nominated each of the past two years, the Aussie star edged out New Zealand rivals Michaela Blyde and Jorja Miller having scored an absurd 83 tries in the 2023/24 season.

Levi crossed 69 times in the sevens world series and added a record-breaking 14 tries in the Paris Olympics, including two in the heartbreaking loss to the USA in the bronze medal match.

The 22-year-old has already scored the second-most tries for Australia in women’s sevens history, with Charlotte Caslick the only player ahead of her.

The award comes just weeks after reports that Levi and her sister Teagan requested an early release from their Rugby Australia deals to switch codes to the NRLW where they could have earnt big money in next year’s expanded 12-team competition.

Rugby Australia rejected that release, and Maddison then quashed those rumours in October on the night she was named women’s sevens player of the year at the RA awards night.

Sevens stars have traditionally excelled in the NRLW, with Caslick, Emma Tonegato and many others successfully switching codes, but Levi says that’s not on her radar at the moment.

“NRLW was definitely on the sights in a couple of years’ time or whenever that time is, but right now I’m obviously signed till 2026 and we haven’t won a gold medal with the Olympics yet, so I’m definitely not stepping away from this sport,” she said on October 30.

“Whenever that time is, I’m definitely open to other doors, having played AFLW and hopefully NRLW. But I really want to take home that medal and leave a legacy.”

Australian winger Nathan Lawson was named in the men’s dream team after he scored 25 tries in 2024, with the pair hoping for success back home in Perth next year when the series starts on January 24.