Former Black Ferns star Portia Woodman-Wickliffe has been named in Time magazine’s first list of the 100 most influential people in sport. The 34-year-old New Zealand rugby player was included in the Icons category of the 2026 list. She appears alongside famous athletes such as LeBron James, Lionel Messi, Jannik Sinner and Caitlin Clark.
Woodman-Wickliffe retired after helping the Black Ferns Sevens win a second gold medal at the 2024 Paris Olympics. She later returned to rugby to help New Zealand try to win a third Women’s Rugby World Cup in a row. The Black Ferns were beaten by Canada in the semi-finals in England.
Even though New Zealand did not win the tournament, Woodman-Wickliffe added another major achievement to her career. In her 50th international match, she became the all-time leading try scorer in New Zealand rugby history, for both men and women. She broke the record previously held by former All Blacks winger Doug Howlett.
Woodman-Wickliffe is also a two-time World Rugby Women’s Player of the Year. She announced her second retirement in February, saying she felt excited and a little nervous about the next chapter of her life. Time’s sport list also included Titans such as Cristiano Ronaldo and Rory McIlroy, and Leaders such as Oleksandr Usyk and Prince Harry.
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