Portia Woodman-Wickliffe: From World Cups to Olympic Glory

Portia Woodman-Wickliffe, a double World Cup champion, has announced she will retire from rugby after the upcoming Paris Olympics with New Zealand. Throughout her illustrious career, the 32-year-old excelled in both sevens and XVs formats, contributing significantly to the Black Ferns’ consecutive World Cup triumphs in 2017 and 2022. Renowned for her exceptional skills, Woodman-Wickliffe received World Rugby’s women’s player of the year accolade in 2017 and 2020, in addition to earning recognition as a sevens player in 2015. Reflecting on her career, she expressed gratitude for rugby, describing it not just as a profession but as a source of family and life-changing experiences.

She shared her sentiments on social media, noting, “Rugby has provided me more than a career, it’s given me a second whanau [family] in my sisters, opportunities to see the world and experience things I never would have otherwise. One last dance with my sisters in Paris.” Woodman-Wickliffe leaves a remarkable legacy in the sport, holding the record for most tries scored in Rugby World Cup history with 20 tries, and boasting the highest number of tries in Sevens Series history with 256. She is now aiming to achieve another milestone: securing back-to-back Olympic gold medals, having triumphed at Tokyo 2020 and previously earning a silver at Rio 2016.

As Portia Woodman-Wickliffe prepares for her third Olympic Games, her contributions to rugby and her relentless pursuit of success highlight her lasting influence on the sport and her unwavering commitment to achieving greatness on the global stage. Her remarkable skills and determination make her a formidable force to watch in the upcoming competition.