Portia adds Games gold to spoils
The Far North was able to celebrate its own little slice of New Zealand’s Commonwealth Games success when Kaikohebred Portia Woodman proved an integral component of the Black Ferns’ sevens gold medal victory over Australia on the Gold Coast on Sunday.
The women got their first ever Games’ campaign under way on Friday with pool wins over Kenya 45-0 and South Africa 41-0 and Canada 24-7. They knocked over England 26-5 in the semifinal to progress in to the final against their arch rivals.
New Zealand led 12-0 at halftime, only for Australia to claw their way back in the second half and take the match to extra time, where an 80m try from Kelly Brazier secured the win and the first ever women’s sevens gold medal.
Northern Advocate’s Andrew Johnsen noted Woodman was a key figure in the victory by scoring a try, forcing a penalty in a ruck which led to the Ferns’ other first-half try and she also made a try-saving tackle.
The men’s sevens team also took out their competition with three pool play wins over Zambia 54-0, Kenya 40-7 and Canada 33-7, victory over England 17-12 in the semis and Fiji 14-0 in the final to secure their fifth Commonwealth Games gold medal.
The women’s sevens team travel to Japan tomorrow to prepare for next weekend’s Kitakyushu Sevens, while the men return home to gear up for the Singapore Sevens from April 28-29.