Do we like them?

Do we like Portia Woodman-Wickliffe?

Our score: 8 out of 10. A decent record with no harm or scandal found, held back from the top only because her public words on wider issues are thin.

Portia Woodman-Wickliffe grew up in rugby royalty. Her father and uncle both played for the All Blacks, and as a kid she told her dad, “Dad, I want to be the female Jonah Lomu.” She started out as a professional netballer before being recruited into sevens in 2012.

Then she basically did it. She won Olympic gold at Tokyo 2020 and two Rugby World Cups with the Black Ferns, and was named World Rugby's women's sevens player of the year in 2015. By her second retirement she held the record for the most World Cup tries and had become the first New Zealander, man or woman, to score 50 test tries.

Her exits have been on her own terms, and twice. In 2024 she said, “I feel honoured that I have the choice to do it on my own terms.” She came back for the 2025 World Cup, then announced in February 2026 that she was done with the Black Ferns sevens and XVs squads again.

On the scandal front, there's nothing to tell. We found no court cases, no allegations and no complaints from teammates or staff, and not even any tabloid territory worth repeating. A clean sheet is rare enough in sport that it's worth saying so plainly.

On the harm check, nothing turned up. We found no remarks about LGBTQ+ people, women, migrants or the climate, no conspiracy rabbit holes, and no dodgy company. Her public comments are mostly about visibility for girls in sport, so the record is thin on bigger political questions. Thin isn't the same as bad, though, and nothing we read points the wrong way.

The good stuff is real. When Mattel made her a Barbie for International Day of the Girl in 2025, she said, “I know the importance of visibility,” and talked about girls seeing what's possible. She also spoke about being proud to be Māori, and she was recognised in Time's first sport influence list in 2026.