Rugby: Black Ferns’ World Cup star Ruby Tui to sit out Super Rugby Aupiki

Black Ferns star Ruby Tui celebrates a try. Photo / Photosport

By RNZ

Rugby World Cup champion Ruby Tui is contemplating her future in the sport.

The 31-year-old lifted the Rugby World Cup trophy with the Black Ferns in Auckland last year but won’t be back playing in Super Rugby Aupiki which kicks off next month.

Tui had played for the inaugural Super Rugby Aupiki winners, Chiefs Manawa, last season as part of her transition from sevens to the 15-a-side game ahead of the World Cup.

Tui has won just about everything there is to win in rugby, including World Cups in 15s and sevens, and a gold medal in sevens at the last Olympics. She was named women’s breakthrough 15s player of the year at the 2022 World Rugby awards.

However, Tui’s manager Dan Sing said she was “not rushing any decisions in regards to her playing future”.

Tui has not been named as part of a Super Rugby Aupiki side for the second year of the competition.

Instead of taking the field as a player during Super Rugby Aupiki, Sing confirmed she would be behind the commentators microphone working for Sky Sport during the expanded women’s domestic competition.

Tui has done commentary work for the broadcaster previously.

If Tui does return to playing rugby she could be weighing up whether she returns to the sevens circuit with an eye to the 2024 Paris Olympics or sticks with 15s to give winning back-to-back World Cups a crack with the next tournament in England in 2025.

Tui won’t be the only big name missing from Super Rugby Aupiki, with Sarah Hirini, Stacey Fluhler, Theresa Fitzpatrick and Portia Woodman-Wickliffe all rejoining the Black Ferns Sevens.

The quartet were all part of the Black Ferns’ successful Rugby World Cup run last year, committing to the 15-a-side team following the Sevens World Cup earlier in the year.

All four played starring roles in the tournament, but are unable to resume their places in the 15-a-side game in Super Rugby Aupiki given the sevens series is back in full swing and events clash with the Aupiki schedule – which begins in late February.

Of the Black Ferns Sevens side who won last weekend’s event in Hamilton, five featured in the inaugural Super Rugby Aupiki competition. None of those five will feature in this year’s competition.

- RNZ