Ihu ki te ihu, rae ki te rae, ko te kapa Kahurangi tērā kua mahuta i te pae o te whakataetae Super Rugby Aupiki.

Me te aha, kua piri mai te toki o Te Taitokerau, a Portia Woodman-Wickliffe ki tēnei kapa toa whakaihuwaka.

“Kei te ako tonu ahau, mātau ko te tīma, nā te mea [koinei] te tau tuawhā [o] tēnei whakataetae,” te kī a Woodman, te pou waenga o te kapa Kahurangi.

Nō te Hatarei kua pahure nei, tuki ai ngā Kahurangi ki te kapa Matatū i te papa tākaro o Ngā Ana Wai.

I tata eke ngā hoariri o Matatū i te meneti whakamutunga, heoi, nā te haukotinga o Woodman-Wickliffe te kapa Kahurangi i toa ai. Ko ngā piro, e 26-19.

From sevens to union

From rugby sevens to rugby union, Woodman-Wickliffe is renowned for her skills on the field.

Despite her extensive experience on the pitch, this marks Woodman-Wickliffe’s debut in Super Rugby Aupiki, coming off the back of her rugby sevens triumph at the Paris Olympics last year.

“I think at the moment I prefer 15s. [My] body is probably past that at the moment, but I love rugby.”

The centre won Player of the Match is Saturday’s final. She also tops three key stats for the Blues—leading in tries scored, defenders beaten and meters gained. She also hopes to follow in the footsteps of her father, Kawhena, who made appearances for both the All Blacks and Māori All Blacks.

“My dad, he was playing rugby till he was like, 60. So I wanna be like that.”

Mai i te whutupōro uniana ki te whutupōro rīki

Kaitākaro like Niall Williams, Gayle Broughton, and Tenika Willison have all made the switch to rugby league, competing in the NRLW. Woodman-Wickliffe admits she’s also thought about making the move.

“I wanted [NRLW]. I wanted to have a jam but unfortunately, it didn’t quite work out. Who knows, it could potentially happen again.”

However, her priorities are shifting beyond the field next year, as Woodman-Wickliffe plans to extend her whānau.

“I want babies. [Whatever] next year looks like, that’s what I’m doing - having babies.”

He whetū maiangi anō nō Te Taitokerau

Ko Braxton Sorenson-McGee tētahi anō whetū maiangi o Ngāti Wai, o Ngāpuhi anō hoki kei te kapa Kahurangi, e whai nei i ngā tapuae a ōna tuākana.

“I’m playing with some of the best athletes in the world, so it’s good to learn off them.”

Tekau mā waru noa ngā tau pakeke o te whurupēke nei, i whai piro i tana haukotinga i te kapa Matatū i te Hatarei.

“[In] my mind was just to run,” te kī a Sorenson-McGee.

“Don’t get caught [and] keep running.”

Kua rongonui hoki tana whānau i te ao whutupōro rīki. Ko ana kiritata tonu ērā - ko Dane rāua ko Kurt Sorenson - kua tākaro mō te kapa Kiwi, i te whakataetae NRL hoki. Ko tana whanaunga i a Scott kei te kapa Penrith Panthers, ka mutu, kei Wīwī tana tūngāne a Dredin e tākaro rīki ana.

Engari hei tā Sorenson-McGee, ka ū tonu ia ki te whutupōro uniana mō tēnei wā.

“My first goal is to obviously make the Black Ferns squad - hopefully playing [at] the World Cup. And then [go] to sevens and [maybe] later on in my career, go to league.”

Hei te Taite, tuki ai te kapa Kahurangi ki ngā toa o te whakataetae Super Rugby W o Ahitereiria, ki te kapa Warratahs.