Australian Rugby Sevens star Demi Kennewell (nee Hayes) has announced her retirement from the World Series following a decorated 10-year career in the game.
Kennewell made her international debut against Brazil in 2016 before watching her Australian teammates win gold at the Rio Olympics in the same year.
Born in the mining town of Mount Isa, Kennewell grew up in Queensland’s south attending boarding school in Toowoomba.
The 28-year-old moved to Sydney in 2015 to join the Australian Youth Sevens squad after being introduced to the game by Sevens teammate Charlotte Caslick.
Kennewell was selected for the Tokyo Olympics in 2020, becoming an Olympian with the side reaching the quarter finals.
An unfortunate season-ending knee injury in 2023 ruled Kennewell out of a possible second Olympics campaign before she made a return to the field in a title-winning Dubai in 2024.
A second ACL injury in 2025, however, cruelled Kennewell further but after less than seven months on the sidelines she made a comeback in the recent Vancouver leg of the World Series.
Kennewell competed in 33 tournaments, playing in 166 matches and scoring 38 tries.
She bows out a world champion, with the Australians recently winning the 2025/2026 HSBC SVNS World Championship title.
Retiring Australian Sevens player Demi Kennewell said: "Winning the World Championship a fortnight ago was the picture-perfect finish for me and I honestly couldn't have asked for a better end with the girls, the wider squad and everyone who has been involved in my career.
"I’ve experienced the highs and lows of professional sport, from winning titles to injuries and non-selection, but overall I feel so incredibly grateful to have been involved with what this program has created, the memories and experiences shared and the opportunity it provides.
"I’d love to thank everyone who has supported me along the way, from my parents who backed me as a seven-year-old to sign up to a boy's footy team, to my husband, coaches, support staff, teammates, friends and supporters who have always cheered us on. I couldn’t have done it without you all."
Outgoing Australia Women's Sevens coach Tim Walsh, who will transition to a new Director of Women's High Performance role next month, congratulated Kennewell on her career.
"Demi embodies the essence of an Australian Women's Sevens player and it’s been a privilege to work and grow with an athlete and person of her calibre," Walsh said.
"When Demi arrived as a teenager in 2015 we went skydiving as a team activity and threw her out of a plane and she has been grounded ever since.
"She’s entered the program as a young girl and is exiting as a strong, resilient, successful and tough woman.
"Incredibly we won 13 tournaments in her 33 caps, an incredible win-ratio of 38 per cent when she played, showing just how much of an impact she’s had on the program."
Kennewell added the off-field opportunities she has been given through rugby - including a media and communications degree, and a coaching and Pilates course - has set her up post-career.
Demi Kennewell (nee Hayes)
- Debut: 2016 World Series v Brazil (Langford, Canada)
- Olympics: 1 - Tokyo (2020)
- Events: 33
- Matches: 166
- Tries: 38
- Points: 190
- Achievements: 13 World Series titles (2016-2026), Tokyo Olympics (2020), Commonwealth Games gold medallist (2022), Rugby 7s World Cup gold medallist (2022)
