Every now and then, Portia Woodman-Wickliffe reckons she’s a pretty good housewife. But the rugby legend admits she hasn’t been home as often as she’d promised her wife Renee. Six months ago, the 34- year-old professional player imagined her immediate future would look very different from how it’s panned out.
After winning Olympic gold with the Black Ferns Sevens in Paris last year, Portia retired from international rugby, ready to step into a new chapter. She was hoping that by now, she’d have started a career in commentating – and be pregnant. But then came a call she couldn’t ignore: a chance to return to the national side for her third World Cup and to help defend the Black Ferns’ world title in England in the tournament that starts later this week.
Balancing life at home and on the field
“My wife says I keep signing contracts to get out of doing the dishes and the washing!” laughs Portia.
“When I’m home, I’m a great housewife, but it’s only been for a week at a time lately. “I was ready to start my life after rugby. I probably would have gone to this World Cup and done a bit of commentary. For me, commentary and having a baby go hand in hand. So that’s on hold for now – maybe until next year.”
Since her electrifying return to the Black Ferns, Portia has become New Zealand’s leading all-time try scorer, pushing her tally to 48 when she landed 10 tries in her last two tests –including a hat-trick against Australia on her 34th birthday.
The pressure before the squad call
But she admits she was still “extremely nervous” before the squad of 32 was named to travel to the World Cup.
“The game has changed a lot in the past three years,” shares Portia.
“There’s much more work wingers have to do now, so I’m learning. It’s like a new Portia going to England in some ways. “I never take it for granted I’m going to be in teams. I’m always worrying, ‘Have I done enough? Have I learned enough?’ So to get the call from [Black Ferns backs coach] Riki Flutey to say I’d been selected was amazing.”
Still, Portia says she’s hurting for her friends who didn’t make the team, like fellow wings Ruby Tui and Mererangi Paul. While Black Ferns fans will be counting on Portia, who was made an Officer of the New Zealand Order of Merit in this year’s King’s Birthday
Honours, to cross the try line again in England, she has other goals off the field too. Especially after Renee, who played 46 tests for the Black Ferns, asked her wife what legacy she wanted to leave.
Leading by example on the field
“I want to make some genuine deeper connections with some of the younger girls in the team,” explains Portia.
“If I’m myself, then hopefully it allows others to be themselves. I also need to engage with people, understand who they are, then bring them along with me and support them in their growth – on or off the field.”
Among those younger players, three are role models to Portia and Renee’s 12-year-old daughter Kaia. When the Black Ferns team was named in Wellington in July, Kaia was only interested in attending if her rugby heroes Braxton Sorensen-McGee, Katelyn Vaha’akolo and Jorja Miller were there. Luckily, all three made the side.
Reveals Portia, “She had a schools rugby tournament in Tauranga, but I told her, ‘This is potentially the last event you ever have to go to for me.’ She said, ‘OK, but is Brax going to be there? And KV and Jorja?’ “I get it. She’s a teenager. She has these people she looks up to and I’m grateful she has such amazing role models.”
Lessons from Renee
Portia has learned a lot from Renee, who’s following her own dream away from rugby. She now works as a youth coach with EmployNZ, helping put young people in the Bay of Plenty on a pathway to employment.
“When Renee retired, she didn’t know what she wanted to do,” recalls Portia.
“But it’s always been her dream to work with rangatahi – kids like herself who struggled to find a purpose. She’s amazing at connecting with people as she has so much patience.”
Portia will have a support crew of nine following her during the tournament. Her dad, 1980s All Black Kawhena Woodman, and mum Kathryn are regular tourists whenever she’s playing, and cousins, aunts and uncles will join them. Renee, who was in the Black Ferns alongside her wife at the 2022 World Cup, is arriving in time for the quarter-finals in September.
“She’d already booked her flights before the team was named,” tells Portia.
“Even if I didn’t make it, we were still going to go over for a holiday and support the girls!”
Share this post