TUI Ruby

General
DIFFICULT CHILDHOOD
She says she has overcome the memories of a difficult youth that saw her spend time in a women's refuge. Her father was an alcoholic and split from her mother. "I spent a bit of time living in a women's refuge because my mum had experienced some issues but I don't let it define who I am, it is just one part of my story. I saw things at a young age that made me say straight away, 'I'm never doing that, I'm never going to waste my life away'. As a kid I did a lot of mucking around and got up to no good. It's amazing to see where I am now. When I was young I had no idea what my future would look like. I just knew that I wanted something better than my family had, and I wanted to make them proud. If anyone is going through anything, or there are kids out there who don't know where their life could go, my career goes to show that no matter where you come from or what you are doing, you can still have an amazing life because of a passion for sport. It's really important to me to tell my story, because my past makes me strive to be the best person and sevens player I can be. I'm now living the dream." (rugbyworld.com, 01 Feb 2019; telegraph.co.uk, 10 May 2019; nowtolove.co.nz, 04 Oct 2018)

TEAM CULTURE
She says that since the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro, the atmosphere in the New Zealand national team has changed for the better. "We lost the joy at the Olympics, we were entirely focused on bringing home gold. It wasn't fun any more. Girls didn't want to leave their families any more. Now we are focused on culture. We play because we love it and we love each other. We had to shift our culture from winning at all costs, and if there is ever any sign of us falling back into those patterns, we have to get out of it. I got through the disappointment of failing to bring home gold at the Rio Olympics by keeping a gratitude diary. I wrote in it every day. Our mental skills coach David Galbraith would ask, 'What did you do today that made you proudest?' and, 'What would you do better if you did it tomorrow?'" (telegraph.co.uk, 10 May 2019; nowtolove.co.nz, 04 Oct 2018)

COMMENTATOR
She has worked as a television sports commentator for New Zealand network Sky TV. "I love the ability to connect with an audience. Sky has helped me grow as a person. I hope I can make my family proud. We're trying to move things forward for female rugby players and for other sportswomen who can give their insight into what they do. I believe 100% that your personal development off the field makes you a better player. People can sometimes put all their eggs in the rugby basket, but you've got to be challenged off the field for your mental health and to grow." (allblacks.com, 17 Mar 2020; nowtolove.co.nz, 04 Oct 2018; planet7s.com, 05 Aug 2019)