Ruby Tui is the BBC rugby pundit we never knew we needed

She was the star of New Zealand’s Women’s World Cup win three years ago in Auckland but, at this year’s tournament in England, Ruby Tui is wearing a different hat after being snapped up by the BBC as a pundit. We may be just one game in, but what a signing she has turned out to be.

Like the electric red streak running through her hair, the former Black Ferns winger lit up the corporation’s coverage of England’s World Cup opening victory over the United States.

Engaging, bubbly and allowing her larger-than-life personality to shine through, Tui showcased her trademark charisma and had an analytical eye to match.

Of course, Tui and the Beeb go way back. Many will remember the infectious interview that she gave to the BBC’s Jill Douglas during the Tokyo Olympics in 2021, where she was part of New Zealand’s gold medal-winning sevens team.

What an interview!

Love this from NZ 7s @rubytui 🏉

Beautifully done @JillADouglas pic.twitter.com/WpgR492Fe2

— Jo Currie (@JoCurrie) July 30, 2021

That off-the-cuff chat catapulted her into the global spotlight as she gesticulated wildly and pointed into the camera, animatedly greeting the presenter in Samoan. Tui later admitted she had no idea she was talking to Britain’s biggest broadcaster.

While her debut as part of the BBC’s World Cup punditry line-up was a lot more measured, viewers were still treated to her fun personality. Tui’s on-screen camaraderie with presenter Gabby Logan and her fellow pundits, Simon Middleton and Maggie Alphonsi, was instant.

Before the match, there was a heartwarming moment when former England head coach Middleton recalled how Tui consoled him after her New Zealand team pipped the Red Roses to the trophy in that roller coaster of a World Cup final at Eden Park in 2022.

A turtleneck and blazer might have been a left-field choice for British summertime in balmy Sunderland but it played into Tui’s sleek, professional look. This was a woman who appeared to be every inch the seasoned broadcaster; who knew what to say and when to say it.

Ruby Tui during Black Ferns training. Photo / SmartFrame

Before long, plaudits started flooding in, with fans on social media full of praise for the Kiwi. “I knew Ruby Tui would be good in comms but she’s actually fantastic. The Black Ferns’ loss is the BBC’s gain,” wrote one user on X. Others were quick to note Tui’s immense likeability and how effortlessly she came across on camera.

At times she made Middleton look somewhat wooden, often directing the conversation onto him when she had finished dissecting elements of the Red Roses’ emphatic display.

Earlier, Middleton had been pushed by Logan on his controversial decision to leave halfback Natasha Hunt out of his squad at the last World Cup. It was a welcome reminder that the tough subjects need to be broached and made for compelling viewing.

Tui, rather refreshingly, did not shy away from picking holes in England’s performance. Regular Red Roses viewers will know this near-perfect team has a tendency to rack up the big scores – as was the case in their 69-7 hammering of the US – but she did not hold back in playing the bad guy.

As she started waxing lyrical about Ellie Kildunne’s first-half score, she quickly pivoted to how cagey the Red Roses’ opening 20-minute period had been, which was characterised by their sloppy body language at restarts and untidy connections. Her half-time assessment was crisp and to-the-point. “England were rattled at the beginning of the game,” she said.

Tui was equally as engaging in the post-match analysis, where Logan teed up the tournament’s upcoming fixtures long after those inside the Stadium of Light had filtered out into the night.

Tui refused to hide her bemusement when it was suggested that Ireland, who stunned New Zealand last year at WXV, might not go full bore in their final pool game against the Black Ferns, as a BBC radio caller had claimed earlier in the week. “We heard the other night that Ireland aren’t going to take that Black Ferns game seriously?” she said. “That’s what they said, live on the radio. I don’t buy it. It’s a double bluff!”

As for what Ireland can expect against Japan, she delivered a line that dripped in her New Zealand twang: “Have you tried to attack against Japan’s flying defence? It’s exhausting, mate!”

And she saved a tongue-in-cheek segment for the last part of the show, when she was asked to explain why six-time World Cup winners New Zealand have a knack for tournament rugby. Conscious of standing beside Alphonsi and Katy Daley-Mclean, who both won the World Cup with England in 2014 but have also lost to New Zealand in finals, she quipped: “I’ve just got to move away from Maggie and Katy [Daley-Mclean] here …” She went on to explain why the format has always worked in the Black Ferns’ favour and joked that she was expecting to be ribbed in the sides by one of them if she rabbitted on for too long.

In this endearing Kiwi, the BBC has unearthed a tremendous on-screen talent.