3 weeks ago
Thousands will descend connected Bordeaux’s Stade Atlantique connected Sunday to watch nan Women’s Six Nations expansive slam decider betwixt France and England, among them nan New Zealand fable Ruby Tui. The World Cup victor and Olympic golden medallist, who has been moving for nan BBC arsenic a pundit, says she would emotion to spot nan French travel retired connected apical successful Le Crunch to extremity England’s seven-year trophy hold.
Tui attended her first Six Nations lucifer successful information 1 of this year’s title astatine Twickenham, arsenic England took connected Ireland. The lucifer felt for illustration an hold of nan World Cup statement for nan 34-year‑old, who witnessed past year’s groundbreaking arena done her media duties. The Red Roses will want to present nan aforesaid result arsenic that last past September and if they did truthful they would widen their Six Nations winning tally to 39 games successful a statement and go nan first squad to triumph nan tourney aft claiming nan World Cup. But Tui is backing nan women successful blue.
“Absolutely, I americium decidedly going for France,” Tui said. “I can’t spell for England. I americium not allowed to. France mislaid by 1 point [in nan Six Nations decider] past year, that was crazy. It is good and genuinely up to France. That quarter-final against Ireland astatine nan World Cup benignant of summed them up. They were 13-0 down astatine half-time and turned astir and won 18-13. The measurement they play, it is very overmuch a rotation of nan dice.
“They could hit England and I deliberation England cognize they are looming location successful nan background. But besides if England sorted retired each of their onslaught and protect systems they have, France won’t person a chance. I americium very happy it is coming down to a banger successful Bordeaux.
“There are a fewer French players who I thought would springiness Zoe Harrison a tally who are retired truthful it will beryllium a large inquire but nan past state to do it was France successful 2018 and we request personification to extremity this seven, 8 run. So fingers crossed France [can do that].”
Players specified arsenic Gabrielle Vernier and Joanna Grisez are retired for France but England person been contending pinch worse. The Red Roses person much than 10 players unavailable to them done wounded aliases gestation but they person continued to win, and for Tui that is impervious they are a world-class team.
She added: “The only measurement to trial if your systems are what they genuinely are is by chucking successful debutants, third- and fourth-string positionals coming through, which is what is happening. What happens is you person your squad and you person your chair but nan astir absorbing point to maine is nan adjacent furniture down: nan travelling reserves, nan players successful camps – those are nan standards that you can’t fto slip.
“It is difficult because location is nary 1 location that is experienced, they are each marque new. So what are they doing successful camp? Are they keeping up nan standards?
“Are they surviving and breathing nan systems because group deliberation it is astir nan starting squad but you can’t put nan unit each connected them. You person sewage to person these guys carrying. If you want this 37 [game‑winning run] to move into 67 you request that stuff.”
Tui has besides been impressed by nan crowd numbers crossed nan tourney and says she did not expect England to beryllium capable to proceed their attendance momentum rather successful nan mode they have. She besides credits nan individual players for being a immense tie for supporters wanting to spell to games.
“I americium successful awe of what nan players are doing,” Tui said. “We often look astatine everyone other and what they tin do much but it is difficult to ideate what much nan Red Roses themselves could do. [They are] doing each of these astonishing things that we arsenic nan Black Ferns didn’t moreover deliberation of. I americium learning truthful overmuch from being here.
“I deliberation nan crippled needs personalities, characters. We request group to travel it. But to maine they are much than personalities, they are turning up for things and they are putting successful difficult work, they are really present. I americium really gladsome I didn’t cognize this erstwhile I was playing them because I wouldn’t person been capable to get angry connected nan section astatine them truthful easily! The crippled needs them but they are doing supra and beyond.”
Tui hasn’t played since not being selected for nan Black Ferns’ 2025 World Cup squad, pinch media activity becoming beforehand and centre of her master life, starring to her being nominated for respective punditry awards. But she is not ruling retired a return to nan pitch, pinch England’s Premiership Women’s Rugby 1 convention she is looking into.
“I person been having immoderate conversations,” she said. “I person been going to a mates of teams. We went done Bristol, Trailfinders, Harlequins … This punditry worldly is simply a lot. I americium not shutting nan door. Definitely not nan USA but location are a fewer places I could extremity up. I americium not really sure, I americium excited to find out.”
