NZ’s Woodman-Wickliffe to retire after Olympics

Double World Cup winner Portia Woodman-Wickliffe has announced she will retire from rugby after this month’s Paris Olympics with New Zealand.

Woodman-Wickliffe, 32, played both sevens and XVs during her successful career, helping the Black Ferns win back-to-back World Cups in 2017 and 2022.

The winger was named World Rugby’s women’s player of the year in 2017 and 2020, as well as picking up the award as a sevens player in 2015.

“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 posted on social media.

A record-holder in both games, Woodman-Wickliffe holds the individual try-scoring record for Rugby World Cups with 20 tries, and has registered the most scores in Sevens Series history with 256 tries.

Woodman-Wickliffe is now aiming to win back-to-back Olympic golds after claiming a gold medal at Tokyo 2020.

It will be her third Games after winning a silver medal at Rio 2016.