Rugby Sevens star Teagan Levi opens up on vile abuse, sister reveals pressure of being an athlete

Rugby Sevens stars Maddison and Teagan Levi are often approached by guys in bars asked for a number - of how many reps they do.

“Fat, ugly and look like a man.”

These were the vile words that left Rugby Sevens star Teagan Levi a crying mess.

Abuse is not uncommon for athletes, from sideline rage to anonymous online trolls, but rarely do the vicious words come from a person easily identifiable to the victim.

Teagan, 18, is a World Cup, Commonwealth Games and World Series champion alongside sister Maddi, 20.

But despite her rapidly growing list of achievements, in her final year of school in 2021 Teagan was subject to what appeared to be an anonymous phone call – only to later discover she knew her bullies.

“One day I was just driving in the car and I got this no caller ID call,” Teagan said.

“It was these girls telling me my body image isn’t normal, that I’m fat, ugly and I look like a man.

“I started crying, I called Maddi immediately and told her what happened.”

Rugby Sevens stars Teagan Levi (left) and Maddison Levi. Picture: Getty Images

It didn’t take long for the sisters to identify Teagan’s trolls, who attended a nearby school and had publicly gloated about their verbal attack on the young athlete.

But it wasn’t until 2022 that the bullies owned up to their actions and apologised, but not before attempting to justify their actions.

“They said they were just sticking up for each other, but I was thinking I never did anything to you guys,” Teagan said.

“I didn’t know them personally and they were at a different school but I knew them from other people.”

Maddi added: “It’s difficult for people to understand, it’s hard, girls can be a little bit jealous and have that tendency to fight between each other.”

The most shocking part for Teagan was that the abuse didn’t come from the stereotypical older male who wanted to keep women out of ‘men’s sport’ — it was girls her own age.

“It’s sad to think that other girls think this of you, especially girls of the same gender,” Teagan said.

“Those aren’t words you want to hear, but having a good circle around you is something that’s important to me and having Maddi by my side was super important.

“Jealousy is a curse and obviously there was something going on in their lives that they had to put other people down.

“I’m just lucky that I’m strong minded and don’t care what others think of me.”

Teagan Levi in action for Australia during the 2023 Sydney Sevens. Picture: Getty Images

LONG-TERM FALLOUT

Since the 2021 incident Teagan has struggled to connect with girls her age, outside of her teammates, instead preferring to hang with the boys and enjoy a more jealousy-free friendship.

“I guess it’s been a bit of a rollercoaster, friends are so important in life but I’ve struggled throughout schooling to fit in,” she said.

“Because I play sport, I was always away and then I’d hang out with the girls but they started to part their own ways and I was left in the middle.

“So I started hanging out with the boys but the girls didn’t like that.”

Maddi, who made her Olympic debut in Tokyo at just 19, has experienced her own issues with body image and feeling self-conscious.

Her strong and athletic figure often draws attention from male admirers, but it was her plentiful diet that fuels her active lifestyle that left her not eating her meal on a first date.

“I got self-conscious because they didn’t eat all of theirs,” Maddi said.

“That was probably the lowest point in my life, I was like ‘why am I sacrificing this food for some other person?”

Maddi Levi has experienced her own issues with body image. Picture: Getty Images

For the sisters it’s not uncommon for a night out with friends to be disrupted with questions from men about workout routines and diet which might seem flattering at first, but can also be laced with sub-text.

“There’s been plenty of nights out where we’ve had males come and ask for our workout routine, which is a compliment in itself but it definitely takes you back,” she said.

“It’s like why are you asking me? ... Do I look really muscley?”

STRONG AND BEAUTIFUL

But Maddi’s muscles have helped make her one of the most formidable forces in world rugby, winning the 2021-22 Rookie of the Year award after scoring 24 tries in 34 matches.

In fact it wasn’t easy for Maddi to put on the weight she desperately needed to match it with the likes of New Zealand and Fiji, let alone maintain it.

“Believe it or not, I used to be some tall skinny girl with no muscle when I first started rugby, it was only once I left school that I started to develop muscle,” Maddi said.

“I was quite happy to put muscle on, I was all these arms, no muscle, just flying everywhere.

“As female athletes, we struggle to hold muscle because of our period and oestrogen cycle, it breaks down a lot more muscle.

“So the fact that we’re looking musclier than some men is pretty cool.”

LISTEN TO THE FULL INTERVIEW WITH THE LEVI SISTERS

Maddison (left) and Teagan Levi celebrate after winning the 2022 Rugby World Sevens in South Africa.

Despite their “muscley” figures, the girls said they have been trying to break away from the stereotype often placed on female rugby players to be bulk, butch or a ‘tomboy’.

It’s why the women’s rugby team have a ritual before every major tournament - one that is a world away from the blood, sweat and tears of the training paddock or playing field.

“In our team, we’re very feminine, our coach has a day before we go on tour to get our nails, lashes and tan done,” Maddi said.

“You don’t have to lose femininity to play rugby sevens, it helps show that you can have the best of both worlds.

“We have a saying, ‘look good, feel good’.

“Two hours before the game, everyone’s doing their hair, putting on their zinc.”

Teagan added: “We want to show that you can be a female athlete and be strong, but also dress up and show both sides of you.

“You can be both, and look all different types of ways.”

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