Doug Howlett’s longstanding New Zealand record under threat

Portia Woodman-Wickliffe is on the verge of becoming the first New Zealand Test rugby player to score 50 tries.

In extending her Women’s Rugby World Cup try-scoring record to 21 during defending champions New Zealand’s 54-8 win over Spain in York, Woodman-Wickliffe took her overall career tally to 49. This puts her level with All Blacks legend Doug Howlett at the top of the combined men’s and women’s try-scoring charts.

Howlett became the All Blacks’ record try scorer during Men’s Rugby World Cup 2007, overtaking 46-try sensation Christian Cullen. But it seems inevitable that, after 18 years, this record will fall to Woodman-Wickliffe, given the 34-year-old’s remarkable strike rate.

Whereas Howlett reached 49 tries in 63 Tests, Woodman-Wickliffe has achieved this feat in just 29 appearances for the Black Ferns, her prowess as a finisher being recognised with her winning the RugbyPass Top 50 women’s player award earlier this month.

Although the quality of opposition obviously has to be taken into consideration, Woodman-Wickliffe has very rarely missed an opportunity to cross the whitewash since dotting down for her maiden try against England on debut at Eden Park in 2013, boasting an average of 1.69 tries per game.

The former World Rugby Women’s Rugby Player of the Year (2017) has scored 11 tries this year alone, including a magnificent seven against the USA in the Pacific Four Series at North Harbour in May, and holds the record for most tries in a Rugby World Cup match (eight against Hong Kong China in 2017).

Woodman-Wickcliffe’s next scoring opportunity will come on Sunday, if selected, in the Pool C match against Japan at Sandy Park, Exeter.

The Olympic gold medallist may well have been beaten to the half-century mark before then, though, as England play Samoa a day earlier, giving fellow wings Jess Breach, who is also on 49 Test tries, and her Red Roses team-mate Abby Dow (48) the chance to steal a march on her.

Woodman-Wickliffe and Breach are the joint fifth leading try scorers in women’s test rugby, behind England quartet Sue Day (61), Nicky Crawford (57), Emily Scarratt (53) and Marlie Packer (50), and joint 12th overall.