Double Olympic gold medallist Portia Woodman-Wickliffe acknowledges she saved her worst performance for last in the Olympic final.
Before the Games, the 33-year-old announced her retirement from international rugby after Paris. On Wednesday, she concluded her international career on a high note as the Black Ferns sevens team secured a victory over Canada, winning back-to-back gold medals and New Zealand’s first gold in Paris.
Despite the triumphant outcome, Woodman-Wickliffe was critical of her own performance. “I think I played my worst game out there – a yellow card and another penalty. Man, that was terrible, I thought I learned my lesson from Rio,” she commented to the media.
In the match, she received a yellow card for a high tackle on Charity Williams, and New Zealand was trailing Canada by 12-7 at halftime. However, Woodman-Wickliffe maintained confidence in the team’s ability to prevail.
“It was just about being who we are and keeping things simple and just loving the game. I think that’s what we showed out there,” she said. Describing it as a “privilege” to win gold and wear the fern, she expressed gratitude for sharing the victory with her teammates—both seasoned players and new talents.
As for her plans post-retirement, she humorously mentioned, “Lounging on the couch, eating Maccas and KFC and popping out babies.” Woodman-Wickliffe is married to Renee, and they have a daughter. Her illustrious career includes two Rugby World Cup wins, two Commonwealth Games medals, an Olympic silver medal from Rio, and the distinction of being the first woman to score 200 tries in the Rugby World Sevens Series.
Additionally, New Zealand’s most capped women’s sevens player, Tyla King, also announced that the Paris tournament would be her last. Teammate Stacey Waaka praised both Woodman-Wickliffe and King as “awesome humans” and highly skilled players.
“The mana and the respect they hold within the group – it’s going to be missed, but we send them off with our blessings,” Waaka told Sky Sport, acknowledging the special significance of helping them win gold in their final match. “It’s a surreal feeling, surreal moment. Some [players] in their first Olympic campaign, some second, and for some, it’s their last. To see those girls off and to seize this opportunity we had, I’m speechless, really.”