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The legendary sevens rival who ‘really challenged’ Maddison Levi

Maddison Levi #12 of Australia and Portia Woodman #11 of New Zealand in action during HSBC Madrid Rugby Sevens match between Australia and New Zealand at Civitas Metropolitano Stadium on June 02, 2024 in Madrid, Spain. (Photo by Borja B. Hojas/Getty Images)

Try-scoring phenomenon Maddison Levi has credited Portia Woodman-Wickliffe as the player who “really challenged me” on the SVNS Series. Woodman-Wickliffe will go down in history as one of the sport’s greats after helping New Zealand win another Olympic gold in Paris.

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It was an unforgettable end to a decorated sevens career worthy of applause and acclaim, with Woodman-Wickliffe previously announcing that she’d retire after those Games. Team NZ beat Canada 19-12 in the battle for gold as a sold-out Stade de France watched on in awe.

With the blow of the full-time whistle, Woodman-Wickliffe’s sevens career came to a triumphant end. For a player who had broken numerous individual records during that distinguished time in the black jersey, it was fitting to see the powerful winger bow out as a champion.

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      Woodman-Wickliffe won Player of the Year awards in sevens and 15s, was named the Sevens Player of the Decade in 2020, and became the first woman to score 250 tries in sevens about halfway through the 2023/24 HSBC SVNS Series season.

      If there’s a ‘greatest of all time’ or ‘GOAT’ in women’s sevens, Australia’s Charlotte Caslick would also be in the conversion, but it’s hard to argue with Woodman-Wickliffe’s resume. Even rivals from across the Tasman Sea are full of praise for the colossus that Woodman-Wickliffe was.

      Maddison Levi, who last week received the Shawn Mackay Award as Australia’s best women’s sevens player for a second year in a row, is arguably the face of the sport at the moment. Levi scores in just about every match, but even heroes have idols of their own.

      “When I first started, Ellia Green was the one that got me into the sport, and then Portia Woodman was the one that really challenged me,” Levi told RugbyPass at the Rugby Australia Awards in Sydney last week.

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      “I remember in Oceania (Sevens) I chased her down and I didn’t tackle her, I couldn’t tackle back then, so I ran side-by-side to the line with her. Even recently she still comes up to me and she goes, ‘I remember when you chased me. I always have that on you.’

      “Just having that banter but knowing she’s paved the way and she’s been up there at that level, and just to be able to be half as good as her – just the way she holds herself and the way she plays footy – she kept continuing to get better.

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      “Hopefully I can continue her legacy on but with my own name, I think that’d be pretty cool to be the next winger to go down.”

      Woodman-Wickliffe won’t wear the black jersey again after once again insisting that international rugby was no longer on the cards moving forward. Last month, the 33-year-old signed with Blues Women ahead of the 2025 Super Rugby Aupiki season.

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      With the Women’s Rugby World Cup in England just around the corner, it makes sense that fans would call on Woodman-Wickliffe to don the famous jersey for one last tournament. But the woman herself has drawn a line through the sand.

      “Yes, I’ve retired, but I did a little bit different to my wife. I specified I was retiring from the black jersey which leaves open doors for other opportunities and this was one of them,” Woodman-Wickliffe told reporters in Auckland.

      “Right from the get-go, I wanted to come back to the Blues, play alongside my niece (Kerri Johnson). Talking to my wife Renee, she said she absolutely loved the experience. The young, vibrant girls, they’re a little bit young and it keeps her young as well so I wanted to be part of it.

      “… That’s going to be the tricky part because I am pretty adamant that I’m not playing for New Zealand purely because I want to play with freedom,” she added. “I can’t play other opportunities. I want to play social netball and social touch, like those are the things that I’m really looking forward to.”

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      fl 35 minutes ago
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      “A succession of recent ex-players going straight back into the game as coaches in their early 40’s would prob be enough to kill it stone-dead. Innovation would die a death.”

      Would it? I do think one of the major differences between rugby and most other sports - which we’ve been overlooking - is the degree to which players are expected to lead team meetings & analysis sessions and the like. Someone like Owen Farrell has basically been an assistant coach already for ten years - and he’s been so under a variety of different head coaches with different expectations and playing styles.


      “The most interesting ppl I have met in the game have all coached well into their sixties and they value the time and opportunity they have had to reflect and therefore innovate in the game. That’s based on their ability to compare and contrast between multiple eras.”

      I don’t doubt that that’s true. But having interesting insights doesn’t necessarily mean you’ll be the best able to inspire a team, or the best at managing the backroom staff.


      “Wayne Smith winning the WWC in his mid sixties three years ago prob means nothing to you but it meant a lot to him. It took him back to the roots of is own coaching journey.”

      I don’t doubt that! But I don’t think coaches should be hired on the basis that it means a lot to them.


      “The likes of Carlo Ancelotti and Wayne Bennett and Andy Reid all have a tale to tell. You should open your ears and listen to it!”

      I agree! Never have I ever suggested otherwise!

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      J
      JW 4 hours ago
      French bid to poach 109kg 17-year-old dual-code Aussie prospect Heinz Lemoto

      Yes that’s what WR needs to look at. Football had the same problem with european powerhouses getting all the latin talent then you’re gaurenteed to get the odd late bloomer (21/22 etc, all the best footballers can play for the country much younger to get locked) star changing his allegiance.


      They used youth rep selection for locking national elifibilty at one point etc. Then later only counted residency after the age of 18 (make clubs/nations like in this case wait even longer).


      That’s what I’m talking about, not changing allegiance in rugby (were it can only be captured by the senior side), where it is still the senior side. Oh yeah, good point about CJ, so in most cases we probably want kids to be able to switch allegiance, were say someone like Lemoto could rep Tonga (if he wasn’t so good) but still play for Australia’s seniors, while in someone like Kite’s (the last aussie kid to go to France) case he’ll be French qualified via 5 years residency at the age of 21, so France to lock him up before Aussie even get a chance to select him. But if we use footballs regulations, who I’m suggesting WR need to get their a into g replicating, he would only start his 5 years once he turns 18 or whatever, meaning 23 yo is as soon as anyone can switch, and when if they’re good enough teams like NZ and Aus can select them (France don’t give a f, they select anybody just to lock them).

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