New Zealand star Portia Woodman-Wickliffe has stunned the rugby world by coming out of retirement to target a place at this year’s World Cup in England, where she wants to take on the “scary” Red Roses.
Woodman-Wickliffe is one of the most decorated players in the sport, having won two Rugby World Cups in 2017 and 2022, two sevens Rugby World Cups and a pair of Olympic golds over her glittering career
The winger also holds the record – male or female – for the number of tries scored in XVs World Cup history after taking her tally to 20 at the last women’s rugby showpiece in 2022, when the Black Ferns beat England in a record-breaking final at Eden Park.
Woodman-Wickliffe announced she was hanging up her international boots after winning her second Olympic title with the Black Ferns at last year’s Paris Games.
But the 33-year-old has said the challenge of winning a third consecutive World Cup triumph – along with the continued growth of the Red Roses under New Zealander John Mitchell – played a key part in her decision to return to the game. The Red Roses are on a 24-match winning streak and are heavy favourites to win a fourth consecutive Grand Slam this Saturday against France at Twickenham.
She has signed an eighth-month contract with New Zealand Rugby and will link up with the Black Ferns squad this weekend, ahead of their upcoming Pacific Four Series campaign.
“England has always been an amazing rugby team and throughout the years it’s always been a Black Ferns-England competition. And now with the likes of France, Canada, and Ireland, it’s so widespread,” Woodman-Wickliffe told Radio New Zealand.
“I’m really excited to have a crack. We’ve seen a lot of talk about them, we see their girls just thriving in all their competitions, their European comp and now their Six Nations so it is really exciting.
“It is scary, they’ve been on a winning streak, their players have been around, they are fully professional, they are playing some amazing rugby but I like a challenge and I think a lot of the girls in our environment like that challenge as well.
“We’re not going to give up, we’re not going to bow down to anyone, we’re going to give it our best crack.”
Woodman-Wickliffe warmed to the idea of targeting another World Cup after a season playing centre for Blues in New Zealand’s Super Rugby Aupiki league.
Portia Woodman-Wickliffe = HER 😤
📺 Watch live on @skysportnzpic.twitter.com/gqa7wseD6K
— Super Rugby NZ (@SuperRugbyNZ) March 22, 2025
“I was sitting at 50-50 for a long time knowing what the commitment needs. It kind of got to the point where I could see myself doing really well,” she said.
“I’ve got a lot more to give and a lot more to learn and I think what really helped was just playing centre, it’s such a new position for me that I’ve just loved learning a lot so it’s been a gradual build to this point.”
Woodman-Wickliffe was crowned world Sevens Player of the Year in 2015, before winning more accolades as women’s player of the year (XVs) in 2017 and in 2020, when she was also named women’s sevens player of the decade.
Mark Robinson, the CEO of NZR, welcomed Woodman-Wickliffe back by describing Woodman-Wickliffe’s decision as “really exciting news in a pinnacle year for women’s rugby.”
“Portia is a true great of the game in both XVs and Sevens,” said Robinson. “Her experience, talent and high standards will add an extra edge to the Black Ferns environment. I’m sure fans all over the world are looking forward to seeing her in the black jersey again.”