The influence of excluded volume interactions on the growth and static light scattering of rigid rodlike micelles is studied at the pair interaction level. Although the micelles have a concentration-dependent length distribution (which is only mildly influenced by the interactions), the structure factor turns out to have essentially the same form as that for a collection of rodlike particles with a fixed distribution. An analytical expression for the structure factor is given. We also investigate the isotropic to nematic phase transition. Growth and alignment couple so strongly in the nematic phase that a low density nematic phase with only a moderate degree of order does not seem feasible. It is argued that the excessive alignment and growth is a result of the oversimplified assumption that the micelles are completely rigid.