Rugby has been a saviour and a metaphor in her life, giving her a sense of purpose – at the centre of it all, the quest to help one another: team spirit and camaraderie. Following Allan Bunting into battle for the black jersey is one decision I know NZR got right,” Tui insists. The book begins where everyone begins: with childhood and the profound ways that our early years shape who we are. I’m not ashamed to admit it: I HAVE A HUGE GIRL CRUSH ON RUBY TUI so this review might be a bit bias.

Tui says she was originally inspired by Sam Warburton’s book – in particular, the Welsh star’s description of what happened on the field when he was red-carded for a dangerous tackle at the men’s Rugby World Cup in New Zealand in 2011. I already knew she was a determined rugby player that was happy and enthusiastic but reading her story I am absolutely moved and beyond excited about what her experiences, words and wisdom can pass onto our tamariki. She is key player who said refused to let the old boys club tell her that women’s ruby doesn’t matter, that they would never win any tournaments, medal or world cups and especially she wasn’t not listening when they told her that women’s rugby wouldn’t sell out Eden Park. I guess that's why I committed so hard to rugby because I was like where these people end up is really cool places.They, in turn, show her their Rubik’s Cube and the tricks to solving it – it’s a new challenge for Tui.

I rocked up to Jill and had no clue who she was or how big the platform was,” Tui says, laughing at the memory. Ruby is known to most New Zealanders for her exuberant larger than life personality and huge talent. I especially loved her take on being bicultural and how that has contributed to her empathy and ability to see things from another angle.Growing up, Ruby felt simultaneously a "bit brown' for her mother's Pakeha family and "a bit white" for her father's Samoan family.

One of the ways in which this book is successful is that careful and honest way it treats traumatic events. After years of playing with the Black Ferns Sevens - and winning Olympic silver, Olympic gold and 2019 World Player of the Year - Ruby realised her dream of joining the Black Ferns earlier this year. I can get in there and be like, ‘You know what bro, it’s really hard, but you’re going to have to have conversations with your parents and you might have to put a cap on how much money you’re giving them every month’.Tui, a living embodiment of how rugby depends on the women’s game to drive it forward, would be welcomed with open arms.