Driven by Portia: Woodman’s broad appeal

It’s not just young girls who want to be like Portia Woodman. The Black Ferns Sevens star is proving an inspiration for the boys too.

The 27-year-old was one of three players on hand at Hamilton Girls’ High School yesterday to announce that the New Zealand women’s team would be playing in an historic first home tournament when they take the park in an exhibition event during the men’s World Series fixture in the city in January next year.

It will be a golden chance for Woodman and her fellow players to strut their stuff in front of local fans, as they pave the way for women of the future. But the reach is wider than that.

Asked what it would mean come the time males look up to her as well, Woodman said that day had already arrived.

‘‘That happens quite a bit now, which is incredible,’’ she said. ‘‘It’s insane. It’s cool when you hear a girl say ‘I love watching you play, I want to be just like you’, but when you hear a boy, when they have these amazing All Blacks players that they can look up to, and they aspire to be like me or one of the girls, then that’s pretty much like a dream come true.’’

Woodman grew up aspiring to be a Silver Fern and played netball for the Northern Mystics, before switching to rugby in 2012. She said when she was growing up her rugby idols were her dad and Jonah Lomu, and it was incredible now to have the chance to set an example for young players.

That first-ever tournament in New Zealand will be a fine chance to do more of that.

‘‘When we’re playing around the world, they have to fight with time zones, waking up early in the morning or watching the replay later on,’’ she said. ‘‘So the fact that they’re going to be able to come to the stadium and see us play, or watch it live on TV, is going to be special.’’

Earlier this year, Woodman was vocal in her calls for a women’s tournament alongside the men’s one in Hamilton, though said she wasn’t consulted about the creation of this event.

‘‘Not really, but that’s cool because they [New Zealand Rugby] had been working on that in the past in the background without needing to talk to me. So to know that this happened long before those comments had been made, was pretty special.’’

She admitted a home event will bring extra pressure, but that the team would take it in their stride.

‘‘Playing in the black jersey, you kind of can’t help it, playing for New Zealand in rugby, there’s always that pressure.

‘‘We thrive off pressure. We’ve been through so much stuff over the last three years, that we love it when we face something that’s going to get a bit of push back. We can’t wait for it.’’

‘‘When you hear a boy, when they have these amazing All Blacks players that they can look up to, and they aspire to be like me or one of the girls, then that’s pretty much like a dream come true.’’ Portia Woodman