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'Too painful to watch': Portia Woodman opens up about concussion in RWC final
The Black Ferns’ incredible World Cup triumph last year will go down in history as one of the greatest moments in New Zealand sporting history.
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But while the Black Ferns won the day, it didn’t all go to plan.
Less than a year on from their disastrous end-of-season tour to England and France, the Black Ferns dared to dream of rugby immortality – and captured the hearts of a nation in the process.
After beating rivals France in a thrilling semi-final at Eden Park, the Black Ferns had earnt the right to etch their names into rugby folklore.
Playing against World No. 1 England, who were on a 30-test unbeaten streak going into the decider, rugby fans young and old packed the stands at the famous venue.
But the visitors had seemingly silenced a vibrant New Zealand crowd early in the decider, as they raced out to a 14-nil lead before disaster struck.
One of New Zealand’s star players was carted off the field about 15 minutes into the final after suffering a shocking concussion, which saw England winger Lydia Thompson red carded.
Star winger Portia Woodman-Wickliffe, who married former Black Fern Renee Wickliffe last month, has described rewatching the final as both “painful” and “scary.”
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“That night, I was wide awake and didn’t really want to go to sleep, so I just watched to glance it over,” Woodman-Wickliffe told Stuff.
“I haven’t watched it too many times, kind of a bit too painful to watch, scary that it was me that got knocked out, and gutted that I missed out on such an incredible game like that.
“All I remember is pretty much when I got to come out onto the field and celebrate with the girls.
“Smithy (Wayne Smith) came to me after the game, he was like, ‘do you remember much of that game?’ I was like, ‘nah, not really, Smithy.’
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“He goes, ‘you were playing an absolute blinder in the first 15 minutes’, and I was like ‘no, don’t tell me that!’ If I had been playing a c*** game it would have been a bit easier to take.”
A small rugby mad nation at the bottom of the world were champions once more. New Zealand burst into a frenzy as the Black Ferns recorded a valiant 34-31 win at Eden Park.
Celebrations continued across Aotearoa for the next couple of weeks – but Woodman-Wickliffe wasn’t able to enjoy it as much as her teammates.
“With a concussion, drinking, loud noise, all of that sort of stuff just isn’t good for your brain because it just needs to rest,” she added.
“The bar where they had set up a celebration with family and friends, I went there for a little bit, didn’t enjoy it, just wanted to stay away from people, and so I just went home.
“That was about me for the next two weeks. I didn’t really get to celebrate because any time I left the house I would get a headache.
“I wasn’t irritable or angry, normally I’m quite an expressive person, and during those two weeks I was very numb and nothing really went on, nothing made me angry, nothing made me happy, it was quite weird. I was tired a lot.
“When I was ready to celebrate, all the girls had just finished a two-week celebration, so I didn’t have many mates to party with because they were all too sick and tired.”
Woodman-Wickliffe has done It all in both rugby sevens and fifteens.
As well as scoring the most tries by any player at the last two World Cups, Woodman-Wickliffe has also enjoyed a decorated career in the shorter format of the sport.
“It gets to a point where you are thinking, ‘why am I here, what am I doing?’
“Ten years ago I was playing rugby because it was an Olympic sport. I’ve played there twice, got a silver and a gold.
“Now, I pack my bag in the morning and I find this little moment of, ‘do I really love this still, do I really want to do this? This is becoming monotonous.’
“But as soon as I stepped out onto that field to train on the 5th, I loved being around the girls, I love the environment, I love the skillset, the challenge that sevens brings.
“Ultimately the goal is to try and get to the 2024 Olympics, but each day I’m just really enjoying the moment.
“With my injuries, too, I lost two years, and then a year with Covid. I lost three years with my team.
“That whole environment of sevens I really still enjoy. As soon as I stop enjoying it and I don’t like being out on the field, that’s when I’d probably look to hang the boots up, because that’s when your heart’s not quite in it.”
Comments on RugbyPass
anybody who bends at the waist when they tackle
3 Go to commentsThe evidence is not strong that this is necessary. Mounga choked on clutch kicks in the WRC final and lost the match by not performing his core goal kicking role to the level required. He also choked in the Semi final against England and was targeted as the weak point in the defence allowing them to score. Not a test great frankly. Why bend the rules for a player that is competent but not brilliant at test level?
11 Go to commentsDear Robbie, Please return to the Crusaders next season. Sincerely, Scott
1 Go to commentsDid the big E call the Irish the ‘White Can’ts’? That would’ve been good
32 Go to commentsDalton Papalii will be lucky to be selected on the Matchday 23. Ardie Savea, Ethan Blackadder, Luke Jacobson, and Peter Lauki are all as good or better openside flankers
9 Go to commentsScott Barrett is a lock and they have a much longer shelf life than a loose forward. Far more likely that Barrett will still demand a starting position based on performance at age 33 at RWC 2027 than Savea, whose explosive athleticism will have declined and he will in all likelihood have been surpassed by Hoskins Sotutu, Wallace Siti, Peter Lauki and Brayden Iose.
9 Go to commentsExtremely frustrating to get yet more speculation over whether or not Eben actually counted 12 players or not, but honestly big respect to McCloskey for keeping it classy and not pointing out Etzebeth’s hypocrisy. The Irish are a popular team outside of Ireland because they do their talking on the pitch, and its honestly a PR masterclass that they’re keeping it that way following Etzebeth’s provocation.
32 Go to commentsGood option for the lineout lost there.
1 Go to commentsIt’s not like Saffas have a long history of spouting absolute shite at any & every occasion. Oh wait… The dangers of an inferior third world education strike again.
32 Go to commentsI’m so glad we’re revisiting this. Really needs to be dissected further. I’m also so glad that a guy in the stands who wasn’t anywhere near the field when any of it would have been said (and even confirms this) has taken the lead and commented as Ireland. Definitely cleared it all up. This article would be hilarious if it wasn’t so misleading.
32 Go to commentsits such a shame he hasn’t achieved more success at club level. He’s really not been a potent finisher for a while now, but he’s still excellent in the kick chase. That’s the kind of skillset that generally only gets appreciated when you’re playing in premiership and european finals. I’m not sure whether the challenge cup counts given the quality of the competition seems lower than in previous years, but his duel with Mapimpi should be enthralling.
1 Go to commentsThe point is the irish players were arrogant,call it like you want sugar coat it aswell but they were you could see it in their way they handeled themselfs on the field when they got something right so dont tell me it was not arrogance it was,you can fool other people but not me,and to say to one of our players see you in the final put a nail in the coffin for this bullsh@t,just be grown men and accept it that you were arrogant,you could if seen it from a mile away, and then you lost to the allblacks what a cocky move that didnt work out for you ,Eben was right when he said u were arrogant,the point is you will deny it because you lost it all just grow some balls and move on we had won you lost accept it.
32 Go to comments“summer tour of North and South America” so its a summer tour of america?
1 Go to commentsEverybody is giving the Irish players the benefit of the doubt in ‘what they meant’, but none of these pundits or commentators offer the same courtesy to Eben. I don’t think Eben went, 1, 2, 3… etc. What might have happened is he didn’t count and when the 3rd or 5th guy said he went, hang on why are so many of them saying this… and then started to concentrate on it more and more as players continue to say it. So no, he didn’t count it, he realised many Irish players said it and made an assumption based on that… The Irish team was VERY confident at the time and I do believe they believed they were going to win the World Cup, which borders a bit on the arrogant side…
32 Go to commentsI can see how some of the Irish players would have said”see you in the final” as a gentle comment after a victory. It’s open to interpretation but it’s clumsy language. I don’t know the fella but I assure you Eben doesn’t have an axe to grind with Ireland. He has never been the media seeking pro. Oh and BTW it is I’ll be our winter in July so won’t be wet.
32 Go to comments*McCloskey*: _I saw this clip. Like, I wasn’t playing that game; I was in the stands…so you don't know sh!t in other words, infact you know just as much as Goode on this matter. I will believe the guy who was on the pitch when things were said as appose to two people speculating over what was said._
32 Go to comments@ turlough dream on buddy. Your boys are in for one tough time down in sa this summer…
32 Go to commentsI think Goode is looking to establish a platform for himself. Eben said “Probably” so that suggests he wasn’t counting. It’s an estimate Goode. I think even with your short and uneventful experience with the Sharks you probably realise winding up Saffas will get you some airtime. It’s a none event. Move on
32 Go to commentsRugby has never been as structured and synthetically pleasing as it is at this moment. The game is simply beautiful and messing with it too much will ruin it for everyone. I can't help but feel that over the past decade or so many rules have been changed to accommodate a certain hemisphere and counter another. Perhaps I am wrong but I somehow don’t think so.
2 Go to commentsNoted some excellent defensive steals from the Rebs last week against the Reds, largely J Canham, I think. It’s not a Rolls Royce but they are a real threat with their defensive line out at the beginning matches. What do you make of Canham Nick, WBs squad material?
86 Go to comments