{"id":109731,"date":"2025-09-01T00:53:10","date_gmt":"2025-09-01T00:53:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/109731\/"},"modified":"2025-09-01T00:53:10","modified_gmt":"2025-09-01T00:53:10","slug":"new-zealand-vs-japan-portia-woodman-wickliffe-record-try-video-black-ferns-highlights-jonah-lomu-news","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/109731\/","title":{"rendered":"New Zealand vs Japan, Portia Woodman-Wickliffe record try video, Black Ferns highlights, Jonah Lomu news"},"content":{"rendered":"

This article originally appeared on Stuff and is reproduced with permission<\/a><\/p>\n

Portia Woodman-Wickliffe has again been likened to the iconic Jonah Lomu<\/a> after becoming New Zealand’s most prolific Test try-scorer of all-time \u2013 man or woman.<\/p>\n

The legendary Black Ferns winger needed only 13 minutes to find the line in their 62-19 win against Japan at the Women’s Rugby World Cup<\/a> on Monday (NZ time).<\/p>\n

It was the 34-year-old’s only try in Exeter but took her tally to 50 in her 30th Test.<\/p>\n

Watch every Wallaroos match at the Women’s Rugby World Cup, live and ad-free on Stan Sport<\/a> or Channel Nine and 9GEM live<\/p>\n

\"Portia<\/p>\n

Portia Woodman-Wickliffe of New Zealand runs with the ball before scoring.\u00a0Getty<\/p>\n

That score took her beyond former All Blacks winger Doug Howlett, who was top on 49 tries.<\/p>\n

While Woodman-Wickliffe played down the milestone, achieved at a tournament where she is aiming to win a hat-trick of World Cups, teammates past and present did not.<\/p>\n

“I think a lot of people call P [Portia] the female Jonah Lomu. She is the most influential women’s rugby player in the world. I’m so proud and fortunate that I am able to play alongside her as a team-mate and not in opposition,” Black Ferns co-captain Ruahei Demant said after beating Japan in the pool C clash.<\/p>\n

READ MORE: ‘Take it on the chin’: Norris disaster puts Aussie in box seat<\/a><\/p>\n

READ MORE: Female player sent off for X-rated referee allegation<\/a><\/p>\n

THE MOLE: Why I have to admit I was wrong on NRL’s oldest man<\/a><\/p>\n

\"Portia<\/p>\n

Portia Woodman-Wickliffe of New Zealand celebrates the team’s victory.\u00a0Getty<\/p>\n

“Regardless of the accolades and the milestones, for those of us who know her she is one of the most humble, down-to-earth people that you’ll ever meet.<\/p>\n

“I know that she’ll say the tries are just her doing her job, but it’s so nice to have someone like her outside you to finish off the opportunities that the girls create.”<\/p>\n

Woodman-Wickliffe’s record-breaking try was a trademark finish. She charged down the right wing and left the the Japanese defenders for dead.<\/p>\n

\"Portia<\/p>\n

Portia Woodman-Wickliffe of New Zealand is challenged by Minori Yamamoto of Japan.\u00a0Getty<\/p>\n

“I think it sunk in when I can see [Vahaakolo] yelling at me going ‘Aaaah! 50 tries’ running next to me,” Woodman-Wickliffe told Sky Sport<\/p>\n

“But, to be actually honest, it’s a result of the team. I know I say it every time, but I’m very fortunate to play alongside some amazing players and if I get the ball with the little bit of mahi (work) that I need to do, it’s what my job is.<\/p>\n

“I’m extremely grateful to play in this team.”<\/p>\n

\"Portia<\/p>\n

Portia Woodman-Wickliffe on her way to the try line.\u00a0Stan<\/p>\n

Comparisons to Lomu have followed Woodman-Wickliffe throughout her career.<\/p>\n

The late Lomu, arguably the most revered All Black in history, had an enormous impact in men’s rugby after his breakout World Cup in South Africa in 1995.<\/p>\n

His power and speed down the left flank made him unstoppable in his prime. As rugby turned professional in the 1990s, he became one of the world’s most famous athletes.<\/p>\n

\"England's<\/p>\n

England’s Mike Catt fails to tackle New Zealand’s Jonah Lomu.\u00a0Getty<\/p>\n

The winger scored 37 tries in 63 Tests and would likely have been more prolific had it not been for a genetic kidney disorder.<\/p>\n

Woodman-Wickliffe has been a major influence in women’s rugby in an age when the game has transitioned from amateur to professional.<\/p>\n

Former Black Ferns No.8 Charmaine McMenamin, who won World Cups with Woodman-Wickliffe in 2017 and 2022, said her try milestone was an amazing achievement.<\/p>\n

“She’s just someone who’s just outstanding with the ball in hand,” McMenamin said on Sky Sport.<\/p>\n

“What I love about her \u2014 probably the biggest moment for me in this game for her \u2014 was her defensive moment. When someone got outside of [centre] Stacey [Waaka], she was able to jockey and create connection to make that tackle.”<\/p>\n

Former Black Ferns outside back Honey Hireme-Smiler echoed Demant’s assessment of Woodman-Wickliffe.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

Jonah Lomu beats the tackle of David Campese to score in a 1995 Test in Sydney.\u00a0Sydney Morning Herald<\/p>\n

“She’s the female version of Jonah Lomu,” Hireme-Smiler told Sky Sport.<\/p>\n

“She’s the GOAT. That’s what she is. No more words.”<\/p>\n

While a chunk of Woodman-Wickliffe’s tries have been scored against comparatively weaker opponents, she has been nonetheless consistent and recovered from injury problems that might have finished her career at the top level.<\/p>\n

She wasn’t on course to play at her third World Cup in England and was destined to move to rugby league after winning her second Olympic gold in sevens at last year’s Paris Games.<\/p>\n

However, once her code switch fell through, Black Ferns coach Allan Bunting tempted Woodman-Wickliffe out of international retirement.<\/p>\n

With her seven tries against the United States in May, she surpassed Vanessa Cootes’ record (43) to become the Black Ferns’ all-time record try-scorer.<\/p>\n

Woodman-Wickliffe’s try in Exeter was her 22nd at her third World Cup.<\/p>\n

She is also the leading try-scorer in World Cup history \u2013 man or woman.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"This article originally appeared on Stuff and is reproduced with permission Portia Woodman-Wickliffe has again been likened to…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":109732,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[567],"tags":[64,63,760,85],"class_list":["post-109731","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-rugby","tag-au","tag-australia","tag-rugby","tag-sports"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/109731","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=109731"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/109731\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/109732"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=109731"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=109731"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=109731"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}