Ruby Tui's mission BEING THE BEST HUMANI CAN BE

The Black Ferns hero talks about her tough year ahead and preparing for life after rugby

Ruby Tui is at a crossroads - in both her rugby career and her personal life away from the game that has given her so much.

The Black Ferns icon and Olympic gold medallist may not be sure what her sporting future will look like, but she knows she wants to, in some way, be part of the defence of the Rugby World Cup title in England next year.

The 32-year-old crowd favourite wants to find the best way she can to give back, especially to the rugby community with a project that "will allow me to be the best kind of human I can be". That might be through study, charity work or a new business venture, Ruby says.

But she also wants to find a place to finally settle down and make a home with her much-loved tabby cat Manawa, who's cutely named after the Chiefs Manawa team she plays for in Super Rugby Aupiki.

After a year of highs and lows, of disappointment and personal discovery, Ruby hopes 2025 will be her best year yet, both on and off the field - and the Rugby World Cup features large in her plans.

"Winning it three times in a row would be huge for New Zealand," says Ruby, who made an indelible mark on the 2021 tournament played here in Aotearoa. "It would put a stamp on rugby as a whole.

"We're in a really exciting space - a massive moment to put a stamp on rugby history. Some people want to leave their mark, but others leave an imprint and this is the moment for the Black Ferns to do that. Any way possible that I can help the team achieve that would be a massive honour." Off the field, Ruby is trying to find the right place - geographically - to make her mark. "I've figured out Auckland is a bit busy for me," she laughs after getting stuck in the city's infamous traffic just before sitting down to chat with Woman's Day. "But my hometown, Greymouth, is too far away for me.