Players.bio is a large online platform sharing the best live coverage of your favourite sports: Football, Golf, Rugby, Cricket, F1, Boxing, NFL, NBA, plus the latest sports news, transfers & scores. Exclusive interviews, fresh photos and videos, breaking news. Stay tuned to know everything you wish about your favorite stars 24/7. Check our daily updates and make sure you don't miss anything about celebrities' lives.

Contacts

  • players.bio

Woodman-Wickliffe off to third World Cup with Black Ferns, Tui omitted

WELLINGTON :Portia Woodman-Wickliffe was selected by New Zealand for her third women's World Cup on Friday, headlining an experienced Black Ferns squad packed with players who won the last edition of the global showpiece.

The prolific try-scoring winger, who came out of retirement in April for a tilt at a third-straight world title, will be joined in England by centres Theresa Setefano and Stacey Waaka, who were also part of the triumphant 2017 and 2022 squads.

Kelly Brazier, who was part of the champion 2010 and 2017 squads but missed out on the 2022 triumph, won a recall at the age of 35 for her fourth World Cup as a backup to flyhalf Ruahei Demant.

Demant will co-captain the squad with loose forward Kennedy Tukuafu, who was included despite missing two matches this month because of a knee injury.

There was no place in the 32-woman squad for Ruby Tui, however, despite the winger having been the face of the 2022 tournament on home soil.

Woodman-Wickliffe, teenage sensation Braxton Sorensen-McGee, Katelyn Vahaakolo, Ayesha Leti-I'iga and fullback Renee Holmes were instead selected as the outside backs.

"I'd like to acknowledge the players who have missed out. Their contribution to the black jersey and to our team this year has been immense," said head coach Allan Bunting.

"The level of depth and internal competition we have seen from our wider squad made the selection process very difficult, however this speaks to the growth and exciting future of women's rugby in Aotearoa."

Braxton Sorensen-McGee and Katelyn Vahaakolo are among 14 players who will be playing in their first World Cup.

Setefano and Waaka were among seven players from New Zealand's sevens programme who made themselves available for the World Cup in March with

Read more on channelnewsasia.com
DMCA