Portia Woodman-Wickliffe: From Childhood Dreams to Rugby Stardom

Portia Woodman-Wickliffe, inspired by Jonah Lomu, overcame hurdles in her youth to shine in both netball and rugby. She segued from dreams of Olympic track stardom to dominating women's rugby, winning silver in 2016 and gold in 2021. She aims to defend New Zealand's title at the Paris Games.

Growing up with competing dreams, Portia Woodman-Wickliffe was inspired by New Zealand rugby legend Jonah Lomu. She faced limited pathways in rugby but dreamed of Olympic glory. Her tenacity saw her regularly taking three buses after school to train in track sprints in Auckland.

When women's rugby sevens was included in the Olympics in 2016, Woodman-Wickliffe's dedication paid off. She represented New Zealand, winning a silver medal in Rio and subsequently clinching gold in Tokyo in 2021. This year, the 32-year-old aims to elevate her performance as New Zealand defends its title at the Paris Games.

With a decorated career, including being named the world player of the year in sevens and 15s, and being the leading try-scorer, Woodman-Wickliffe's journey reflects the profound impact of indigenous Maori culture in the New Zealand women's sevens team.

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