Cyclone Gabrielle: A day in the Bay for Ruby, Nancy and Dan

Black Ferns star Ruby Tui with Melody Blake (left) and Kaimanawa-Rere Porourangi-Delamere during her visit to St Joseph's Māori Girls' College in cyclone-hit Hawke's Bay. Photo / Warren Buckland

It was the Ruby and Nancy act on Thursday as women’s rugby star Ruby Tui visited a Napier school that has no rugby teams.

But the visit to St Joseph’s Māori Girls’ College, where most of the pupils play either netball or hockey, still proved popular with the pupils, who also got to meet “Nancy” – aka the World Cup that Tui and the Black Ferns won with a 34-31 final win over England in Auckland in November.

Tui also met some of the pupils of Hukarere Girls’ College, which was hit by the flooding of the Esk Valley in Cyclone Gabrielle last month, and was able to witness the devastation from the air.

It was part of a one-day visit with All Blacks great Dan Carter. The two flew to and over school communities hit by the cyclone in Tūtira, Te Pohue, Eskdale and Puketapu, separating for a short time for Tui’s St Joseph’s stop and Carter’s visit to Hastings Boys’ High School, before an evening gathering with people hit by the disaster or helping with rescue and recovery work.

The visit was co-ordinated by Evergreen Foundation Hawke’s Bay, which has been a major fundraiser for cyclone relief. It was supported by rugby coach Brendon Ratcliffe in helping make the visit possible, and helicopter pilot Joe Faram, of Rotor Force NZ, in flying the pair to and over the scenes. According to trustee Brendan O’Sullivan, the foundation will be taking other initiatives to help stressed communities in the long recovery ahead.

O’Sullivan said the pair were aware of the cyclone’s impact on the children they visited, and those invited to the early-evening gathering, with Tui in awe of the area that inspired Tūtira Mai Ngā Iwi, the waiata she led 40,000 fans through at Eden Park minutes after winning the World Cup.