Olympics-Rugby-Woodman adds Maori magic to women's game

(Changes slug, removes preview tag) By Nick Mulvenney RIO DE JANEIRO, Aug 4 (Reuters) - The Maori have made a disproportionate contribution to the All Blacks' rugby success and, in Portia Woodman, New Zealand's indigenous people might also provide the women's game with its first superstar. Sevens makes its Olympics debut in Rio on Saturday and many in rugby, Woodman among them, expect the global profile offered by the Games to bring an explosion in popularity for the sport among women. If that happens, the prolific try-scoring winger from Auckland would be a natural face for what was once considered the least feminine of sports. ''I think Portia has grown into a phenomenal rugby player,'' New Zealand coach Sean Horan told Reuters on Thursday. ''If you look at the way she plays the game, she's fit and fast, an amazing athlete physically. But with her skill-set ... she's really becoming the 'New Age' female rugby player.'' Woodman herself makes light of her considerable skills, crediting her success to the simplest of philosophies she learned from her father Kawhena, who along with his brother Fred played on the wing for the All Blacks in the 1980s. ''I think whenever I play, the phrase I have in my mind is what my dad told me when I first started: 'just get the ball and run like heck','' Woodman said. And run like heck she has since switching to rugby from netball in 2013, scoring 119 tries and 595 points in the women's sevens World Series - more than any other player. Her game is not just about pace, however. Lightning footwork and an enthusiastic embrace of the physical side of rugby also help make her a nightmare to mark. ''I love it,'' the 25-year-old told Reuters. ''I love being able to dominate my opponents or run around them. I love the contact too, when you're allowed to tackle people, it's awesome.'' Until the decision to admit rugby to the Olympics, it had looked like she would follow her aunt Te Aroha Keenan into the ranks of New Zealand's netball team. Then it was announced that New Zealand would hold open auditions for the women's rugby programme and she seized the opportunity, much to her father's delight. ''He's stoked and happy for me to play rugby,'' she said. The culture of New Zealand rugby means any team that wears the famous black jersey is always expected to triumph, but Woodman's has goals beyond winning a gold medal in Rio. ''If I can inspire my young nieces and nephews, and other New Zealanders and girls around the world, that's my goal accomplished.'' Horan thinks New Zealand could establish a dominance in women's rugby akin to the men's. ''We have a lot of Portia Woodmans in New Zealand,'' the coach said. ''There's a lot of Maori girls and women out there who have phenomenal talent. If you look at our squad, about 75 percent of them have Maori blood and I think that's the key.'' (Reporting by Nick Mulvenney, editing by Neil Robinson)