Portia Woodman-Wickliffe Makes History as Black Ferns Secure Quarter-Final Spot
Portia Woodman-Wickliffe further solidified her legacy in rugby with another historic performance against Japan. Her exceptional skills have drawn praise from peers, with former teammate Kendra Cocksedge calling her "superhuman" and New Zealand’s Ruby Tui describing her as "unmatched."
Woodman-Wickliffe broke New Zealand’s all-time try-scoring record during the match, helping her team secure their quarter-final place with a decisive victory. She surpassed Doug Howlett’s previous record of 49 tries in 63 matches, reaching 50 tries in just 30 Tests. She also extended her record for the most World Cup tries, now standing at 22. Meanwhile, Braxton Sorensen-McGee made a strong statement with a hat-trick and four conversions.
Before the match, the traditional Haka was met with silence at Sandy Park, though the crowd reacted as Japan formed an arrow shape and advanced in response. Tui, watching from near the press box, stood and joined in the Haka.
The game started dramatically when Japan’s full-back, Sora Nishimura, was injured within the first minute after colliding with a teammate. Despite this, Japan rallied, scoring one of the tournament’s best team tries as Sakurako Hatada finished brilliantly. Their strong defensive effort initially kept New Zealand at bay, but the Black Ferns soon shifted momentum, with Woodman-Wickliffe crossing for a try.
Her score showcased her individual brilliance, but Jorja Miller’s subsequent effort was even more impressive, as she sliced through two defenders to touch down. Further tries from Katelyn Vaha‘akolo, Sorensen-McGee, and Kennedy Tukuafu followed before Japan’s Haruka Hirotsu received a yellow card for a head-on-head tackle, which was reviewed but upheld as a sin-bin.
The second half began with New Zealand’s Laura Bayfield being sin-binned for a deliberate knock-on. Japan capitalised when Moe Tsukui scored, but Sorensen-McGee soon replied with her second try. Bayfield was later shown a second yellow, resulting in a red card for collapsing a maul, which led to a penalty try for Japan.
New Zealand responded effectively, with Miller scoring again, Sorensen-McGee completing her hat-trick, and Renee Holmes adding another try. The Black Ferns will face Ireland in their final group match next Sunday.
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