Straight Up

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So it was with the spectre of men’s rugby culture on my mind that I opened the first pages of Ruby Tui’s story. A truly inspiring book - showing Ruby’s amazing journey from a less than ideal childhood to a rugby superstar.

But, as Tui says in the book, the history of low pay meant that some had to drop out of contention well before this hike in 2014, as the demands of juggling family, work and training was impossible. A colleague, upon learning I was sitting down with Tui for an interview, spoke about her social media presence. The men’s professional domestic 15-a-side competition, Major League Rugby, is midway through its sixth season. There is no denying she had a tough start and has really worked for where she is now - as she says, it could have gone very differently. New Zealand rugby sevens star Ruby Tui already won over BBC viewers a few days ago with her charming interview at the Tokyo Olympics.

Ruby was bright, intelligent and chatty even as a 3-year-old and I always wondered what became of her until seeing her star starting to shine in the sporting world. Determined not to let her upbringing limit her, she survived abuse, drugs and tragedy to become one of the most successful women's rugby players in the world. A clearly very intelligent, empathetic, determined young woman, Ruby’s story is absolutely in her own words and her personal voice.

I’m not ashamed to admit it: I HAVE A HUGE GIRL CRUSH ON RUBY TUI so this review might be a bit bias.We can put on a World Cup that makes the rest of the world go 'whoa, New Zealand truly is the home of rugby'. It is a story of personal and systemic metamorphosis, which has ultimately led us to a new, women-led era for sport at large in Aotearoa. I think it’s being in tune with yourself, looking after your mental health, and asking yourself honest questions every day and not being afraid to do that. I didn’t even know we were live on TV, I was just giving her – and then she started asking me questions.

We may receive payment from third parties for publishing this content or when you make a purchase through the links on our sites. Transitioning to the 15s game in 2022, she won the inaugural Super Rugby Aupiki competition with the Chiefs Manawa and then made her debut for the Black Ferns, helping them win the 2021 Rugby Worl Ruby Tui is a professional rugby player and a bestselling author. Black Ferns winger Ruby Tui signing her book Straight Up at Whitcoulls on Lambton Quay in central Wellington. I marked the pages that made me well up, that triggered my fight or flight response, that worked my heart up into my mouth, that made me want to punch the air in triumph, that tucked a nugget of wisdom into my sport-shy little heart. But Dad was always arguing with his family because he had been through so much, and I think that because he rejected his family’s love, I got that little bit of extra love from them — like I got his share too.The Black Ferns play Wales in the quarter-final of the rugby World Cup at the Northland Events Centre in Whangārei this Saturday, October 29, at 7:30pm. She is, however, adamant the union has moved on from its own crisis moment six months out from the tournament, when allegations of culturally insensitive comments and favouritism triggered a review of the Black Ferns set-up.

The World Cup and Olympic gold-winning New Zealand winger Ruby Tui will play in the US this summer in Premier Rugby Sevens (PR7s), a multi-tournament competition in which men’s and women’s teams compete for one trophy. At 31, Tui is one of the biggest stars in world rugby, a member of the Black Ferns team who beat England to win the 15-a-side World Cup in front of 42,579 fans in Auckland last November. I think she skirted over a lot of possibly controversial parts (in her rugby life) and could have taken a stronger stand on others.The intimate and moving first half of Straight Up ensures that we know trauma is a big part of Ruby Tui’s story, but also that it is not the whole – not by a long shot. It isn’t actually perfect by a long shot (bit too long, bit too sports psychology) but it is always enjoyable and interesting to get Ruby’s take, even on the pretty big traumas she experienced as a kid. So she’s not ready to retire yet; she’s had great advice from the likes of mentor Keven Mealamu and the rugby players’ association. Tui, who was later crowned World Rugby’s Women’s Breakthrough Player of 2022, was inundated with “lucrative” offers to play overseas and signed to play in the Premier Rugby Sevens competition in the United States, for which men and women are paid equally. Tui, a living embodiment of how rugby depends on the women’s game to drive it forward, would be welcomed with open arms.