Northern Edition
Select Edition
Northern Northern
Southern Southern
Global Global
New Zealand New Zealand
France France

Maddison Levi scores seven as Australia start Olympics with two wins

Maddison Levi #12 of Team Australia scores her team's fifth try during the Women’s Pool B match between Team Australia and Team Great Britain on day two of the Olympic Games Paris 2024 at Stade de France on July 28, 2024 in Paris, France. (Photo by Hannah Peters/Getty Images)

Maddison Levi has scored seven tries on a perfect opening day at Stade de France for the Australian women’s sevens side, who started their quest for Olympic glory with convincing wins over South Africa and Great Britain.

ADVERTISEMENT

Levi, 22, broke the record for the most tries scored in a single women’s SVNS Series season during the 2022/23 campaign and was once again prolific on the scoreboard during the Aussies’ run to the overall title in 2023/24.

But the Queenslander took things to an all-new level at the world’s biggest sporting event. Levi put on a show in Saint-Denis as Australia started their Paris Games with two scintillating wins over Olympic-level opposition.

Video Spacer

World Rugby Guide to Rugby Sevens

Video Player is loading.
Current Time 0:00
Duration 2:23
Loaded: 20.93%
Stream Type LIVE
Remaining Time 2:23
 
1x
    • Chapters
    • descriptions off, selected
    • captions off, selected
    • en (Main), selected
    Video Spacer

    World Rugby Guide to Rugby Sevens

    Olympic Rugby Sevens kicks off in Paris on Wednesday. Here’s your full explanation of how it’ll work!

    South Africa showed signs of promise on the SVNS Series this year and Great Britain have added Red Roses fullback Ellie Kildunne to an already talented group. But both sides were no match for Levi’s Australia who scored 70 points on day one.

    Levi was especially impressive, with the point-scoring machine running in for a four-try haul against South Africa and later adding a hat-trick against the Brits.

    “To be able to start like that and build as the tournament goes on is an awesome feeling,’ Maddison Levi said in a statement.

    “Starting well is something we’ve been working on all year. We’ve got a lot of things we can still work on which is good.”

    ADVERTISEMENT

    Track and field doesn’t start until next week at the Games but Levi shot out of the blocks with a phenomenal showing of pace and grit. The former AFLW forward scored three phases after the opening kick-off against South Africa and kept the good times going.

    Levi, who was described as a “freakish talent” in an Australian sevens statement, completed a first-half hat-trick before adding one more during the second term as one of the gold medal favourites kicked things off in style.

    Later against Team GB, Ellie Kildunne came within mere metres of scoring the opener after making a significant break up the field. But when Levi isn’t scoring tries, she’s stopping them in defence – the Australian dragging Kildunne down just short of the try line.

    Related

    But Maddison’s younger sister Teagan was yellow carded for slowing the ball down, which allowed the Brits to take their position for a set-piece move. They ended up taking a surprise lead with a try to Heather Cowell which wasn’t converted.

    ADVERTISEMENT

    It was all Australia from there, though.

    Maddison Levi scored the first two for the Aussies before Bienne Terita added another to give the favourites a strong lead going into the break. Terita completed a double about 30 seconds into the second half to almost certainly determine the victor.

    Both Levi sisters scored one each to round out a dominant 36-5 win.

    Australia have already qualified for the Paris Olympics quarterfinals after winning their first two matches, but momentum is important in any sport, but especially rugby sevens. They have one more pool match and they’ll be desperate to win that.

    The Aussies take on Ireland at 10.30 pm AEST on Monday.

    ADVERTISEMENT

    KOKO Show | July 22nd | Full Throttle with Brisbane Test Review and Melbourne Preview

    New Zealand v South Africa | World Rugby U20 Championship | Extended Highlights

    USA vs England | Men's International | Full Match Replay

    France v Argentina | World Rugby U20 Championship | Extended Highlights

    Lions Share | Episode 4

    Zimbabwe vs Namibia | Rugby Africa Cup Final | Full Match Replay

    USA vs Fiji | Women's International | Full Match Replay

    Tattoos & Rugby: Why are tattoos so popular with sportspeople? | Amber Schonert | Rugby Rising Locker Room Season 2

    Trending on RugbyPass

    Comments

    0 Comments
    Be the first to comment...

    Join free and tell us what you really think!

    Sign up for free
    ADVERTISEMENT

    Latest Features

    Comments on RugbyPass

    P
    PL 2 hours ago
    Lions Tour Aussie takes: Bigger is better, the stars who failed to fire

    I find it interesting that journalists who have done nothing in rugby comment on selections & coaching like they are experts

    Concussive injury’s will remove insurance cover from the game unless their is strict application of the laws designed to remove MND Parkinson’s and CTE from the game


    Head on head I saw red to Adam Coleman as tackler for Irish while unconscious on a stretcher - concussions occur without twitching on the ground or the wobbly boot - I know I had maybe 20 from rugby


    The officiating of last feet is non existent

    The lack of effective wrap by Lions front rower & that decision had a close relationship with ordure in a toilet

    A head on head tackle red for Coleman not even penalty lead to a try in a phase or 2


    Powys v Evans lead to a £> 2 mill verdict against the ref personally special leveraged to Hiuse of Lords

    Refs will stop reffing with no insurance then no game


    About 5 years ago 4 or 5 French colts died from head hits in elite club games - that led to below sternum law - hamlets honoured in breach not observance

    Last feet non existent - enforcement favour flowing rugby nor lions meat grinder forwards get momentum and puck & drive NZ Vowel noise


    The UK Class Action could be very well be lost WRC will try every dirty trick in case they already used dial a neuros to argue the unarguable is law gossip


    I reffed ref coached & assessed for ruffly 17 seasons


    The application of laws is like a zig zag on speed

    Line out laws not enforced scrums tight pulling loose down one side mirror on other side elbow pointing to ground stretch marks on jersey

    Der moment the refs need to go Soec Savers

    My bet unless they stop lack of intestinal fortitude game management


    Yellow every time head contact or above sternum


    Needs sterner GMGs material impact removed set piece caterpillar remove

    Last feet to last feet + 1 m


    When I reffed I kept them well apart - hated me till they got over yellow and they actually had fun & complemented me post game backs had room and pick and drive had momentum


    As for intentional foul play like tackle in air auto red no replacement 100,000 fine player 250,000 club


    Treble it for international 26 week suspension & it’s disappear over night

    25 were scrum for dissent


    Penalty all this rubbish shots at opponents after error


    All the s.ite would disappear


    The pathetic unsportsmanlike behaviour would lead to standards


    Remember Les Boyd’s penalty re Brohman -if that is the way we treat foul play but while foul play with potential serious injury with a feather duster like we are the game is destined to no insurance following that no refs cause would you risk bankruptcy like Powys v Evans

    1 Go to comments
    LONG READ
    LONG READ Why New Zealand learned more from their July series than France Why New Zealand learned more from their July series than France