Opinion
Global rugby loves this women’s team - all of Australia should too
Alicia Lucas
Stan Sport expertThe Australian women’s sevens team hasn’t just energised the fans at Stade de France this week - they have become the beacons of hope for Rugby Australia.
By any measure, the last few years have been challenging for rugby in our country. Positive narratives have been hard to come by. The sense of gloom has felt overwhelming at times.
Maddison Levi breaks clear to score Australia’s third try against Ireland at Paris 2024.Credit: Getty Images
It needn’t stay that way.
In this women’s sevens team, Australia has a collection of wonderful footy players, great human beings and outstanding ambassadors.
They should be household names when they return home given the brave and electrifying rugby they’ve played in Paris and Rugby Australia should do everything in their power to build upon the awesome opportunity the team has presented them.
It’s well known that Olympic success often leads to an explosion of junior and grassroots interest in a sport. And, if harnessed properly, that wave of incoming talent can be shaped into stars of the future, driving growth at every level of the game and the commercial opportunities that flow from it.
Faith Nathan breaks away to score in the women’s rugby sevens.Credit: Getty Images
Rugby must capitalise on this moment. A national team that is entertaining, marketable and successful on the world stage is a gift. They can turn the tide and reinvigorate the sport, leaving a legacy that can span generations.
Look no further than the Levi sisters - how could you not be inspired by their feats in Paris?
There’s no-one in international rugby quite like Maddison. Scoring an Olympic record 11 tries in just the first four games of the tournament is insane.
Her ability to repeat those high-speed running metres is unmatched and the fact she possesses the engine of a midfielder and the speed of an outside back is truly unique.
When she combines with her sister Teagan to manipulate defenders in the middle and create space out wide, it’s almost impossible to repel, as Ireland learned the hard way in the Olympic quarter-final.
Maddison Levi chases down her British opponent in the women’s rugby sevens.Credit: Getty Images
Teagan is a different sort of player to Maddison, but no less impactful on the team. She’s a ball player, a conductor, and she possesses an almost instinctive knowledge of where her sister is on the field and how to create opportunities for her. As double acts go, the Levis are as good as it gets.
But this Australian women’s sevens team is not just built on creativity and attacking flair. So much of their success since Tokyo has centred on their defence and ability to retain possession. In the pool game against Ireland, there was a sequence in which they defended 20 phases. That’s unheard of in sevens rugby.
The Australians’ ability to control the tempo of their games - to hold teams out, repeatedly get off the ground and make tackle after tackle - motivates and inspires all those around them. That brand of rugby might not always make the highlight reel, but it has been every bit as important to the team’s success as their play-making and long-range attacking raids.
This team has tenacity and talent in equal measure.
The lessons of Tokyo stung, but they have also proven invaluable. To storm through the pool stages undefeated in 2021, then lose by two points in the quarters to Fiji, was both disappointing and upsetting. But out of that tournament came a commitment to strip everything back, focus on the areas of the game that needed improvement and work hard on executing them.
Their fitness and athletic capacity is unmatched on the circuit. They were hitting PBs two weeks ago in their training camp in Montpellier, which shows that Tim Walsh and his staff have absolutely nailed the team’s conditioning and preparation.
The standards are high. The willingness to compromise is zero. The unity is there for all to see.
It’s little wonder that the rugby world has fallen in love with them during this Olympic tournament. And with the appropriate promotion and support, Australia will too.
Alicia Lucas will appear as a Rugby Sevens expert on Stan Sport’s daily Olympics shows.
Stan Sport is the only place to watch the Rugby Sevens action from Paris 2024 ad-free, live and on demand in 4K. Continues tonight from 10:20pm AEST.