Ruby Tui currently plays as a prop for the New Zealand Women’s Sevens and as an outside back for the Black Ferns. Known for her powerful and aggressive playing style, her personal and professional stories have inspired rugby fans around the world.
Born on 13 December 1991 in Wellington, New Zealand, Tui has talked openly about her difficult childhood and living in a women’s refuge. When speaking about her upbringing, Tui has said it taught her not to take things for granted, to give everyone a voice and to work hard.
Sport has always been a constant source of joy for Ruby Tui. She started by playing netball at school, but it was at Aoraki Polytechnic that she first discovered and fell in love with women’s rugby.
Tui’s impressive rugby career began with the Black Ferns Sevens team. She was discovered during the Go4Gold campaign, a nationwide programme that was launched in 2012 and designed to find future sevens players. She joined the squad in the same year and played her first match in Fiji.
Tui quickly became a regular for the side and she’s now widely regarded as one of the world’s leading sevens players. Her accomplishments include winning a silver medal during the 2016 Olympics and a gold medal at the 2020 Olympics. She was also named Black Ferns Sevens Player of the Year in 2017 and World Rugby Sevens Player of the Year in 2019.
Ruby Tui made her 15s debut for Chiefs Manawa during the inaugural Super Rugby Aupiki season. One year later, she was selected for the Black Ferns and scored two tries in her first international test. Additionally, Tui was included in the winning 2021 Rugby World Cup squad, where she scored tries during the quarter-final and semi-final matches.
With her skill on the field and impressive sevens record, we’re looking forward to watching Ruby Tui’s development closely.