women
weeks
Preseason. The scariest word in the world weeks. It requires tremendous physical and mental preparation due to the nature of the weeks, which are fast-paced, high-energy, and physically demanding, both in terms of running and crashes. Getting ready to compete in the HSBC SVNS Series is something many players dread when it’s that time of year again to start the pre-season. And trust me, it’s coming. Year after year, season after season, with coaching staffs finding new camps, new hills, or new grueling ways to squeeze an extra 1% out of their elite players of the week.
As a former player, it has been drilled into me since my first pre-season that these are the scars of the pre-season that you should remember or draw on in the depths of the finals or the back end of a long hard season. That you’ve been in tougher spots multiple times before than just one 14-minute game you’re in at that moment.
Current Australian Women 7s superstars Maddison Levi and Faith Nathan are no slouches when it comes to hard work, but returning to world-class form after a good off-season is pushing the best of the best to their limits. “Grit”, “hard” and “tough”. That’s how these preseason veterans described their current preseason venture, with Faith in preseason depth number nine and Maddi number six.
For both Faith and Maddi, the word ‘running’ is their pre-season indicator of how many scars they will develop each cycle. Running, you ask? Crunning is “crying” and “running” at the same time. When you are physically so exhausted and emotionally so spent that the two happen at the same time (not scientifically supported – just proven in practice). The term crunning is synonymous with former Australian strength and conditioning coach Tom Carter who oversaw several of the current groups of weeks through their infancy of professional training weeks. ‘Cromiting’ however was the ultimate “cry, run and puke” pre-season flex. A dastardly combination that meant you were at the end. You remembered exactly who chromitized and when!
I personally never made it to the chromiting stage, and the pre-season run was something I was proud of. But put a prowler in front of me or insist on a repeat effort off deck/contact and the tears flowed.
So when the Ultimate Sevens concept was first presented to Madda to join as an ambassador, she didn’t need much convincing. More legs, less pre-season and a few weeks of touring Europe…Thanks a lot! Ultimate Sevens kicked off its inaugural season in September 2026, billed as a ‘new era for rugby’, featuring as many of the world’s best sevens players as possible. It was a high-energy, fast-paced affair, with players spread across six franchises, playing games in multiple rounds of the championship. Instead of enduring 4 extra weeks of preseason, the Ultimate Sevens became the ultimate savior for Faith and Maddi. A completely new vision for the game of Sevens, the possibility of reaching a new audience and a different format of the game until trial. Scoring opportunities abound for Aussie 7s final flyers with a chance to develop the sport they loved in new destinations. Skeptical in her infancy, Faith jumped on the bandwagon and is grateful for the perspective and experience the competition gave her.
By spending time with players from different countries around the world, both Faith and Maddi gained a deeper level of appreciation for their impressive Australia 7s program too. Discussions about the professionalism of the program, training schedule, game tactics and different styles of play sparked deep conversations – often in different languages about how everyone can help each other elevate the game of the week. Both highlighted the bonds off the court as the biggest takeaway from the competition, and it didn’t take long for this to be seen on all the players’ social media, for a wider sisterhood to form between those players involved in the Ultimate Sevens.
On the pitch, Faith has been impressed by the adaptability of some of the Fijian players in her Atlantic Novas squad and has enjoyed adapting to their unpredictability and the support required in their style of play. He is coached by the former opposition and New Zealand 7s legend Kelly Brazier, was also surreal for Faith, as she provided a great insight into the Kelly/kiwi way of playing and training. Maddi, whose Pacific Current team ran out as the overall women’s champion, enjoyed the freedom of competition and the opportunity to play alongside the best of the best from around the world with much less pressure than she was used to. Different training also contributed to the learning experience as a player.
In the end, they both just loved the chance to play more legs. In years past where they were constantly flogged with the ‘stick’, this pre-season has felt like a real shift towards match fitness, game time and mental refreshment. As the older, more experienced players in the group it was about balancing being aware of what their bodies needed and prioritizing what was really useful. I was floored when Faith said she was now the second oldest in the Aussie 7s because I still remember the first tournament we played together and I felt old then.
Rugby Australia’s Director of Women’s High Performance Tim Walsh said Rugby Australia had given the players their full blessing to sink their teeth into Ultimate Sevens, hoping some of the tactile and personal learning they were able to develop there would pay dividends in the RA’s blessing.
And for a team fighting for Olympic qualification in the upcoming 2026/2027 HSBC SVNS World Series and a podium finish at LA28, a completely different experience was exactly what Faith and Maddi were looking for. Instead of ticking off a calendar of breakout days as they worked towards Dubai in November year after year, they got a fresh new experience and a truly humbling perspective thanks to the Ultimate Sevens. Although Faith jokes, she could probably do without all the European bread she was consuming.
Breadsticks aside, there really is a long time between quality international games for national teams. The ones that really put you under pressure are where these two sevens flyers thrive. Now with a taste of international rugby in the off-season, Faith and Maddi are looking to return to the green and gold and play alongside their Aussie 7s teammates on the world stage again.
Luckily, they don’t have long to wait, as the first ever festival is launched this Friday night at Easts Rugby Club called Kick On 7s. They will play two quality games against their biggest rivals in New Zealand before taking center stage at Accord Stadium on Saturday 17th.th October for a unique four-header. The Wallabies, Wallaroos and Sevens all on display for a huge day of rugby action, with Faith and Maddi determined to show the ultimate pre-season trade-off was worth it.