New Zealand sevens rugby star Ruby Tui to play 15s for Chiefs

Tui will play in the 15s club game in 2022

Sarah Rendell
Monday 01 November 2021 07:15 EDT
Comments
Tui is a household name back home after a Tokyo Olympics interview went viral
Tui is a household name back home after a Tokyo Olympics interview went viral (Getty Images)

Your support helps us to tell the story

From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.

At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.

The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.

Your support makes all the difference.

New Zealand sevens star Ruby Tui will ply her trade in the 15s game from next year, having signed for Super Rugby Aupiki club Chiefs.

Tui started her career in 15s rugby but quickly switched to the sevens circuit, making her New Zealand debut in 2012. She went on to win a silver Olympic medal in 2016, gold at the Tokyo Games, the 2018 sevens World Cup and was named world sevens player of the year in 2019.

The timing of her move may excite fans as the postponed Rugby World Cup is taking place in New Zealand in 2022. Tui could target another medal for her collection, but it’s unclear if she will switch codes internationally.

“Culture is huge for me, so the main attraction to the Chiefs Rugby Club was definitely their culture,” Tui said.

“I think the club has a huge amount of mana [honour, spiritual power]. I’ve played a lot of footy around the country, been involved in a lot of teams, even internationally, but to me the Chiefs hold something really special. They don’t just talk it, they walk it.”

The star will link up with former Black Ferns sevens coach Allan Bunting at the Chiefs. She added that the appeal to sign for the club came to life when she watched them play the Blues at Eden Park earlier this year.

“Watching that game earlier in the year and understanding how important culture is, especially with Allan Bunting at the helm, there’s just no way I could look past the Chiefs.”

Tui became a household name in New Zealand at the recent Tokyo Olympics after a video of a post-match interview went viral. She then added to her internet fame by recording a selfie video reacting to Kevin Hart and Snoop Dogg’s praise of the Black Ferns’ Haka.

Join our commenting forum

Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies

Comments

Thank you for registering

Please refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged inPlease refresh your browser to be logged in