Can Charlotte Caslick and co help Australia win a Rugby World Cup? We’re about to find out

The age-old question of how much better the Wallaroos could become with the addition of sevens superstars like Charlotte Caslick and Maddi Levi is set to be answered, with a group of leading Australian sevens players signing up for a shot at playing at the Rugby World Cup next year in the 15-a-side game.

In a major departure from tradition over the last decade, where the professional Australian women’s sevens program has remained entirely separate from the semi-pro 15s game, one half of the Australian sevens squad recently expressed interest in making a temporary switch ahead of the 2025 Women’s Rugby World Cup in England, which begins in August.

The players – Caslick, Madison and Teagan Levi, Tia Hinds, Bella Nasser, Bienne Terita, Sariah Paki, Demi Hayes and Kahli Henwood – have had meetings with Wallaroos coach Jo Yapp and, according to their positions, been assigned to Super Rugby Women’s teams for next season.

The plan has the backing of sevens coach Tim Walsh. Starting next week, the sevens stars will juggle playing and training commitments for both Super Rugby and the Sevens World Series.

New Zealand have successfully had sevens players switch in and out of the 15-a-side national team, and several stars were prominent in their 2021 Rugby World Cup win at home.

Caslick, the 2016 Olympic gold medallist who will play for Queensland along with the Levi sisters, Nasser and Henwood, said playing 15s was something she’d wanted to do for many years.

Australian sevens players who’ll make the switch to Super Rugby (from left): Sariah Paki, Bienne Terita, Isabella Nasser, Demi Hayes, Kahli Henwood, Tia Hinds, Charlotte Caslick, Teagan Levi and Maddison Levi.Credit: Dion Georgopoulos

“We just haven’t had a good time where it aligned well but now with sevens not being on the Commonwealth Games program [in 2026], it was the obvious thing to do next for a lot of us,” Caslick said.

While many of the sevens converts will be looked at as wingers, Caslick is expected to attempt to make the more difficult transition as a ballplayer.

“I’ll probably be looking at playing 10, 15 or 12 – somewhere in the middle,” she said.

“I’m pretty flexible. Wherever they see that I can fit in or where I can add value. It would just probably my like kicking game, obviously, that will need to develop in the next year.”

Levi, who is a try-scoring machine, said she believed her skills would be transferrable to the 15s game.

“Wing being so similar will definitely help, it’ll work hand in hand and hopefully some of the expertise we have learned in sevens, we can come and transfer into 15s, like that aerial battle for the restarts will help in the kick receipts in the 15s game and so on,” Levi said.

The Aussie sevens switchers pose at Allianz Stadium.Credit: Dion Georgopoulos

Levi said the prospect of playing at the Rugby World Cup, and winning an Olympic gold medal in sevens, had ensured talk about her and sister Teagan playing a stint in the NRLW was never seriously considered.

“That opportunity to play as a dual international, and play at a World Cup, outweighed it,” Levi said.

“I wanna play sevens until I can’t pretty much and obviously win an Olympic gold medal … and hopefully win a gold medal at the World Cup in the 15s game as well.”

Mindful of the potential damage to Wallaroos team culture, Yapp said she had made a concerted effort to be transparent with existing 15s players about the process of the sevens players to pursuing World Cup selection.

“We’ve said all along, it’s not guaranteed, they’ve got opportunities to show how they’ll perform,” Yapp said. “The 15s girls, we’ve got some players that are playing exceptionally well there as well. But what this does is give us more depth within our squad, which is exciting.

“We’re fortunate with the Wallaroos we’ve got some good wingers already [in Maya Stewart and Desi Miller], so that’s going to add to that, and then we are looking at a couple of them within the centres as well. Those are conversations we’re having.”

Yapp said Caslick would be a perfect utility player who can fill a number of roles in a backline, and said Levi had already shown an impressive willingness to learn about the transition to 15s.

Most of the nine sevens switchers will look play in the backs, but Nasser, who is the daughter of 1991 Rugby World Cup winning flanker Brendan and sister of Wallabies hooker Josh, said she’d be willing to follow in the family footsteps.

“I’m happy to play wherever. Put me wherever, and I’ll give it my best shot,” the Aussie sevens captain said. “My ability to get over the ball at no.7 could work as a forward.”

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