Ruby Tui

The World Cup winner and Olympic gold medallist has signed up for the Premier Rugby Sevens (PR7s).

The competition is held over multiple tournaments with the men's and women's teams vying for one trophy.

Tui said she was thrilled to be involved in competition which provided equal opportunities for men and women.

"I've been a massive fan of Premier Rugby Sevens and what they've done for women's rugby since they formed in 2021 in the United States.

The 31-year-old stepped away from the game after the winning World Cup campaign and the former rugby sevens star also sat out Super Rugby Aupiki.

Tui has been added to the Black Ferns contracted player group for 2023 but will likely miss the upcoming test match against Australia on 29 June due to her sabbatical.

"I couldn't watch footy without officially announcing I'm re-signing with the Black Ferns for two years taking an immediate sabbatical," Tui told fans on Twitter.

Blyde, of Taranaki, was the top try-scorer at the end of the six-tournament series, crossing the stripe 40 times, while Cantabrian Tui was a force in the forwards. 

The world championship-winning pair were nominated alongside Canada's Ghislaine Landry for the award. 

In the men's category, American Perry Baker shapes up as the favourite for the award, leading the men's circuit in both tries and points scored.