The last few days have proven a major confidence boost for Kiwi rugby sevens superstar Portia Woodman whose return to the international stage went as well as she could've hoped.
Woodman’s performance at the trans-Tasman series helped her put her hand up for what will be a brutal Tokyo Games selection process by coaches but the powerhouse told 1 NEWS she’s still letting her return sink in.
“For me, it’s been an awesome confidence boost,” Woodman said.
“I’m the best I’ve been in 10 years but not peaking which is cool.”
Part of that boost comes from a little tradition Woodman has which has her standing at the back as her team prepares to take the field, seemingly in her own world.
“I’m saying to myself, I’m confident, I’m strong, I’m where I’m supposed to be, my body is capable of doing what it needs to do, I‘m happy, I love this.
“I have to tell my mate in front of me just give me a little heads up before we run out there and I’m stuck there by myself!”
It's a mantra she's been working on for a while as she slowly but surely made her way back from a 580-day absence from the international game to don the black jersey again over the weekend.
Teammate Kelly Brazier said the Sevens Sisters knew before then Woodman was well and truly back though.
“We had to do a contact drill a couple of days before we played in this tournament and no one wanted to pair up with her because you’d look up and shed run over two or three people,” Brazier said.
But now though comes the hard part with only 12 from the sisterhood able to go to Tokyo.
Even after her fine return, Woodman isn’t locking herself in as one of those going.
“The playing field is so even now, I love that competition we have with the girls and it’s awkward but the love for each other is there,” she said.
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