When Michaela Blyde left Taranaki nearly three years ago to base herself at Mount Maunganui, she hoped the personal sacrifice moving away from family and friends would be worth it.
It has paid off in spades for the dynamic try scorer, with this year the absolute standout. Her 40 tries in the World Rugby Women's Sevens Series was the most by any player and helped New Zealand win five of the six tournaments and take out the title.
The 21-year-old's form and confidence have grown dramatically under head coach Allan Bunting.
Blyde said the move to be with coaches, trainers, teammates and the facilities at the high-performance centre at Mount Maunganui played a major role in her dramatic on-field improvement.
"I decided to move here to try and pursue my sevens career. It was a little difficult at home because I was training by myself and I didn't have anyone to compare myself with. So I thought I would make the big move from Taranaki and start growing my sevens career here," she said.