Portia Woodman has once again been hit with an injury setback on the eve of the World Sevens Series. The iconic winger suffered a hamstring strain in the Oceania Sevens tournament earlier this month, which will keep her out of the Dubai and Cape Town events.
Joining her on the sideline is fellow speedster Michaela Blyde, who has been hit with a lower leg strain. She’ll also miss the two tournaments, with both targeting the Hamilton leg in January for their comebacks.
For Woodman, it will mark a year out of the international game, previously with an Achilles tendon injury.
The Blacks Ferns Sevens will be desperate to have both back for Hamilton, as it will mark the first time the women will have a fully sanctioned leg on New Zealand soil. The move to the Waikato from Hamilton has proven to be a successful one in the last couple of years, with large crowds being entertained by the Black Ferns winning an unofficial four team tournament.
Woodman is one of the most prolific players in history, scoring 195 tries in 157 matches. Blyde has scored 126 tries in 117 matches, with both winning gold medals at the 2018 Commonwealth Games.
The squad that will travel to Dubai and Cape Town will be named on Monday.