Portia Woodman is synonymous with women’s sevens. Currently a winger for the Black Ferns Sevens, Woodman is widely recognised as one of the squad’s most successful players. Due to her skill, speed and prowess, she also represents the New Zealand women’s national rugby team.
Born on 12 July 1991, Woodman comes from a successful sporting family. This includes two All Blacks, Kawhena Woodman (her dad) and Fred Woodman (her uncle), as well as former New Zealand netball star Te Aroha Keenan (her aunt). She followed in her aunt’s footsteps and started her career playing netball for the Northern Mystics. However, she switched to rugby in 2012.
Woodman first came to the sport via New Zealand’s Go4Gold campaign, which was created to find athletes to compete in rugby sevens at the 2016 Summer Olympics. She was chosen for the programme and subsequently made her debut for the Black Ferns in 2013.
Determined and strong, Woodman soon made her name as a world class player. Her greatest accomplishments include being named as World Rugby Women’s Sevens Player of the Year in 2015. Two years later in 2017, she won the World Rugby Women’s Player of the Year award. Then, in 2020, she was recognised as the Women’s Sevens Player of the Decade.
Out on the field, Woodman delivered an impressive performance during the 2017 Rugby World Cup. The Black Ferns won the tournament while Woodman scored more tries (13) and points (65) than any other player. Additionally, she represented the Black Ferns at the 2018 Commonwealth Games. This was the first time women’s rugby sevens was included at the games and New Zealand won the gold.
Woodman was selected to represent New Zealand at the 2021 Rugby World Cup. She opened the tournament with an explosive performance and scored a hat-trick against Australia. She kept up this impressive form as New Zealand retained the Rugby World Cup.
With much of her professional career still to come, we’re eager to see what Portia Woodman can achieve next.
Star winger Portia Woodman-Wickliffe, who married former Black Fern Renee Wickliffe last month, has described rewatching the final as both “painful” and “scary.”
The Black Ferns' resurgent win and the fandom that came with it leaves Smith's replacement with big shoes to fill and so Woodman hazarded a - presumably educated - guess for who might be in line for the role.
New Zealand Women's 