Woodman recognised as one of NZ’S best
On International Women’s Day, New Zealand’s highly respected Rugby Almanack has continued its belated recognition of the distaff side of the Kiwi game.
The latest Almanack, covering the 2017 season, has named Black Ferns wing Portia Woodman as one of its five players of the year – the second straight time a woman has been honoured among its standout performers after Black Ferns captain Fiao’o Fa’amausili was included in the 2017 edition.
It also features a woman on the cover for the first time in its 81-year history, with Fa’amausili holding the World Cup won in Ireland taking pride of place alongside standout
All Blacks lock Sam Whitelock.
The annual edition nominates All Blacks Sam Cane, Rieko Ioane, Waisake Naholo and Codie Taylor alongside Woodman.
Of Woodman, they write: ‘‘Her performances at the Rugby World Cup were reminiscent of Jonah Lomu at the 1995 Rugby World Cup – both played on the left wing and both scored four tries in a crucial semifinal.’’
They note her 16 tries in eight tests for the year for the Black
Ferns, eight in one match, against Hong Kong in the pool stages of the cup, and her major contribution for the world series-winning New Zealand sevens side, which included 35 tries in five tournaments.
Woodman was World Rugby’s women’s player of the year for 2017, and was also recognised by the Planet Rugby website as the only female player in its global team of the year.
The Almanack described openside flanker Cane’s form in 2017 as ‘‘irresistible’’ and highlighted his brilliant defensive display in the year’s final test against Wales in Cardiff in which he made an ‘‘astonishing’’ 21 tackles.
They also detailed the tryscoring feats of wings Ioane and Naholo for both franchise and country, and noted Taylor’s emergence as ‘‘next in line for the All Blacks hooking position’’.