Alicia Lucas Says Women’s Rugby Is “Shooting For the Moon”

We spoke with Olympic gold medal-winning 7s Australian player Alicia Lucas who is also a “red polo” HSBC ambassador on the SVNS Series. On the final morning of the Perth event this past weekend we discussed how Sevens is championing women in sport; its impact on the profile of the women’s game and how much of a milestone it was to have the women’s final in Perth be the final match played – which was a first for the SVNS Series. (She also correctly predicted the Australian women would win the title- and what a final that was!)

Feature Photo Credit – World Rugby – Alicia Lucas – HSBC Sport ambassador at Perth SVNS 2025 with the Australia player of the final Heidi Dennis.

The last time we spoke with Alicia was in Singapore in 2024 and the mood then was very much pre-Olympics hype. In Perth, we asked her how the news had been received that the women’s final was going to be like the pinnacle match to end the tournament.

“It’s an incredible opportunity that HSBC has provided to be able to have the series leg final be the women’s game as the last one of the tournament. I think it comes off the back of the incredible appetite that the Olympics provided for the game of Sevens in general. But actually, how big the women’s tournament was and it was the back end of the Olympics regime there as well. 

The fanfare and the excitement here (in Perth), around the final and around this Australian women’s team, is massive, and so it makes sense to be able to give the crowd, give the broadcasters, give the people what they want, and they want to see that women’s side running out at the end of the day. 

They want all the drama and the atmosphere to cultivate an incredible, incredible final…I think it’s a real testament to what opportunities are available for the women’s game, how much it’s growing and how much people really have such a strong affinity to the women’s game as well, and all the characters and the personalities that are within it.”

We also asked about the evolution of the SVNS Series and the changes it undergoes are good for the sport and attracting and keeping fans.

“There are changes to schedules or there’s different stadiums or things like that, it doesn’t bother them (the players) at all, because it’s just another opportunity for them to try footy and for them to showcase the skill sets that they’ve got – on and off the field.

They see it as new opportunities to create different fan bases, new places to explore and being able to travel the world with your best friends – you can’t complain about that from a player’s point of view. And that’s the thing that the fans have to realise as well, that the players, they just love doing what they’re doing, and so sit back, watch, enjoy and cheer them on, that’s the best thing that you can do.”

Photo Credit – HSBC Sport – Alicia Lucas HSBC SVNS ambassador

Women’s Rugby Shooting For the Moon

People already are doing the right things in terms of raising profiles – if you look at the players who have just been in action this weekend. And there’s already a lot of players that people can look up to in terms of fans and inspiration. We asked Alicia how she has seen the landscape change for women’s rugby since her gold-medal Olympic run back in 2016.

“I think the game was already reaching incredible heights. The women’s space was already reaching incredible heights. And then it’s literally just shot for the moon. It’s been amazing what those Olympics have achieved.” said Alicia Lucas” 

“But I think it really shows how desperate rugby was for some fabulous female personalities. And you can’t go past the likes of Ilona Maher and what she has single-handedly done for the female game – she’s been being her amazing natural self for years, and it’s literally just got the opportunity for the Olympics to unearth the socials and being able to have greater access to the players.”

She explained, “Accessibility is one thing, and then the story and the storytelling and sharing of who they are as people, and then that being matched with their incredible athleticism, skill and precision on the field as well. Success also plays a big part in that. And achieving great things enables you to push your agenda, your personality and your profile forward. …… Charlotte (Caslick) is one of those big players who has been a fabulous, incredible athlete for many years and the slow grind and build that she’s had in it from a social aspect and personality-wise, but they’re so well recognised. They’re global, they’re global names. 

Madi Levi has only been on the circuit for under four years and already she’s a global star. Gossy (NZ Black Fern Sarah Hirini) has been part of the program for such a long, long time but now the world has kind of woken up.”

Rugby Heading To New Frontiers – RWC 2025 & LA Olympics 2028

“You kind of say America has finally woken up to how fabulous the sport of rugby is and how fabulous the game of Sevens is, and all of that has come off the back of some incredible female athletes that are really taking the game to new heights. 

It’s such an exciting space, because, with the Women’s World Cup this year in 2025 for fifteens, a lot of the Sevens superstars are going to give that a crack as well, which only adds to more of the fandom and how great that tournament’s going to be. And then you’re rolling into the US Olympics in 2028 where you’ve got the star of the show who is going to be there on her home soil as well, too. So you think it’s big now, but it’s only going to get bigger.”

We couldn’t agree more than that switch from 15s players to Sevens for the Olympics in 2024 and now going into a women’s world cup where Sevens players are going the other way, that kind of hybrid model really works in terms of promoting the game, but also giving the best players opportunities to go to these tournaments.

Alicia agreed and added, “Opportunity is the biggest thing that you can provide for people in the game. A lot of lot of my generation of players only learned the game of rugby later in their careers, and so any opportunity they got to play, they took it with both hands. And their ability to excel in the sport, it took a lot longer compared to the current generation, who’ve been playing since they were young girls or young boys, and they’ve come through, and they’ve got the skills and the athleticism and the rugby IQ from day dot. 

They’ve also then been provided this world of opportunity with equal parity across the HSBC SVNS series and they’re just going to look at all of this rugby that they can play. They are such incredible specimens that they can do both. You look at Ellie Kildunne for example, she came back for the Olympics an absolute star for GB but at the same time, is getting the World Rugby Player of the Year for fifteens in the women’s game.

You think of Madi Levi, and we have seen Portia Woodman-Wickliffe do it before for New Zealand and Stacey Wakaa, and Kelly Brazier – the Kiwis have been out at the forefront of being able to do that. I think this is Australia’s chance to really hone in and tap into some of that backline explosiveness and talent and see whether they can push the wall of the Roos to greater heights as well. And that only comes because they’ve been given the opportunity to get the ball in hand in multiple facets of the game.”

Photo Credit- HSBC Sport – Australia 7s Women superstars Madi Levi and Charlotte Caslick at an HSBC event – Perth SVNS 2025

Player And Fan Accessibility in HSBC Rugby Sevens

Lucas told us, “I think when I first started, all  I knew was the opportunity to play. And I got handed the golden carrot, the golden ticket, to be able to transfer from one sport to another, to be able to achieve success at the Olympics.  

Since then, the world of opportunity that HSBC has opened up for the game to showcase to young people that it’s not just about what happens on the field, but the opportunities that you can have from a sports management side of things, from commentary, from broadcast, from event organisation, and putting your hand up and having a go as well –  that’s really one of the big messages that our team kind of spearheaded –  you could come from any diverse background, and you can come and give rugby a crack, and it may or may not work out to be the best thing in your life. 

I think the programs that HSBC offers for young boys and girls that are in the grassroots communities, wherever the tournament leg may land, they’re showing them that the players that they get to meet and their superstar fans are just real humans and that they’re just going on a journey, the same as what they did as young kids with a dream and that they just absolutely love sport, and there’s a place for everyone in it.”

Photo Credit- HSBC Sport – Australia 7s Women players Madi Levi and Charlotte Caslick at an HSBC event with young fans – Perth SVNS 2025

What the HSBC SVNS Ambassadorial Role Means To Her

Alicia explained, “I think HSBC has done a fabulous job in terms of recruiting some of the biggest and brightest names in the game to be able to be part of that red polar gang. I feel very privileged to have that opportunity to be able to share my story & where I’ve come from and my journey. If I ignite even one child’s dream or one person’s dream or give another mum or fan a reason to come back next year, then I’ve done my job in that regard.

There’s such a fabulous crew within our red polo gang, and they all come from different countries. The way that we can cultivate together and cheer on our own teams and have a bit of banter and share just the pure love and joy for the game, I think, is really special.

It’s unique in the fact that you have some of our male counterparts that are incredible in the 15-a-side of the game, really quite humbled by a lot of our female ambassadors that have reached great heights in the Sevens game, and that they weren’t able to emulate that as well. I think that’s really important, that they are such key allies in driving the women’s game forward as well. 

Photo Credit- HSBC Sport – Ambassadors ALicia Lucas and Drew Mitchell- Perth SVNS 2025

We have Drew Mitchell here this weekend, and he’s talked about his illustrious four-tournament career in Sevens and how he wouldn’t be able to match it out there, and how much he’s trained against the women sevens, and they absolutely smoked him – I think that escalates how incredible those girls are, even more, and gives fans even more reason to idolise them, because there are legends of the 15 aside fangirling over how amazing our Australian athletes and all of the athletes are as well. 

I think it’s a really cool thing that HSBC are able to have those people be accessible to the fans and to join in on the fun and have a little boogie and sit in the hot seat and really enjoy our time while we’re here as well because that’s what the Sevens is all about. It’s a fun party atmosphere, and you’ve gotta get amongst it now that you can’t get out on the pitch.”

Thanks to HSBC Sport and Alica for the time for the interview during a busy weekend!

HSBC Rugby Sevens

• Japan Sakura 7s Secure Best-Ever Finish – Australia Women and Argentina Men Win HSBC SVNS Perth 2025
• Alicia Lucas – 2024 Olympics Will Take Sevens Rugby To Even Greater Heights.
• World Rugby HSBC Sevens Challenger 2025 Details Announced.
• HSBC Vancouver SVNS 2025 Pools and Preview.