Black Ferns great Portia Woodman-Wickliffe’s quest to play for the Newcastle Knights in the upcoming NRLW season is over because of a conflict of interest.
The 33-year-old – who exclusively revealed to the NZ Herald last year of her desire to play in the NRLW - had agreed to terms with the Knights last year to make the switch, but the NRL - which runs the women’s competition - refused to register the contract because of her ambassador role at the upcoming women’s Rugby World Cup in England.
The 33-year-old would have missed the backend of the season due to an ambassador role at the World Cup - which would have required Woodman-Wickliffe to head to England - and while there was no specific rule prohibiting a player from promoting a rival code, there were concerns about setting a precedent.
Woodman-Wickliffe’s team confirmed they were willing to make concessions, including forgoing the physical appearance, but the NRL’s hard stance made the move unattainable.
The NRLW season kicks off on July 3 with the grand final set to take place on October 5, while the women’s Rugby World Cup starts on August 22, ending September 27.
