Levi Sisters Choose Olympic Gold Dream Over NRLW Deal

Sometimes the biggest win isn't about the money on the table, but the gold medal that got away.

Australian rugby sevens sensations Maddison and Teagan Levi have re-signed with Rugby Australia on two-year deals, choosing Olympic redemption over a highly anticipated switch to the NRLW. Multiple rugby league clubs had shown interest in signing the dynamic duo, and media reports suggested the deal was nearly done.

But the pain of Paris changed everything. At the 2024 Olympics, Australia entered as favorites but stumbled through two crushing upsets, leaving France without a medal and finishing fourth. For athletes who live and breathe their sport, that kind of disappointment doesn't fade quickly.

"Paris left us all a bit rattled," Maddison said. "We were in the best position to get that Olympic gold medal. It's such a conflicting memory, but it's something that's going to drive us to be hungrier come LA."

The 23-year-old Maddison is widely considered the best women's sevens player on the planet. Her 22-year-old sister Teagan is a gifted playmaker who can read the game like few others. Together, they represent Australia's best shot at sevens gold in Los Angeles.

The NRLW switch wasn't just unlikely, it was impractical. The international sevens season ends June 7, and the NRLW kicks off July 2. That's barely three weeks to recover, learn a new sport at an elite level, and perform without a proper preseason.

"The toll our body takes under sevens, and to not have a pre-season underneath us and go out and play league, it's probably a bit selfish on our part," Maddison explained. She knows from experience, having played eight AFLW games for Gold Coast in 2021, that switching codes demands more than raw talent.

Why This Inspires

In a sports landscape dominated by chasing bigger contracts and flashier opportunities, the Levi sisters chose the harder path. They're walking away from money and hype to finish what they started, driven purely by love of the game and unfinished business. Their honesty about Paris, their bodies, and their limitations shows the kind of self-awareness that separates good athletes from great ones.

The door isn't completely closed on a cross-code future. Australia will host the 2029 Women's Rugby World Cup, and both sisters say they'd love to experience life as dual-code athletes when the timing works better.

For now, though, Los Angeles is calling, and the Levi sisters are answering with everything they've got.