Rousing welcome for Ferns

She may have missed out on the opportunity to play at the Commonwealth Games but sidelined Black Ferns star Ruby Tui was one of the first to greet her team-mates at Auckland Airport yesterday.

Tui, who was replaced on the eve of the Games after contracting mumps, led a haka alongside other Black Ferns players, including teenager Risi Pouri-Lane, who sat on the bench in the final after Tyla Nathan-Wong was ruled out with an injury.

‘‘I’m getting asked heaps that it must have sucked, that was so sad,’’ Tui said.

‘‘But all 20 of us contributed so much. We trained for that final for two months straight.

‘‘We all looked like how Kelly [Brazier] did at the end of the final.

‘‘I can’t fathom being disappointed or sad because we won.

‘‘Everything happens for a reason and everybody contributed 110 per cent.

‘‘If we lost I would’ve been disappointed but we won and we showed the world how amazing women’s rugby is.’’

The Black Ferns took the long way home from the Gold Coast as they had business to attend in Kitakyushu where they added to their success by winning the Japan Sevens.

Despite missing the final and the medal presentation, NathanWong had to wait longer than the others to receive her gold.

She said the team organised their own medal presentation where she gave a speech.

‘‘I couldn’t keep the tears back,’’ she said.

Tui on the other hand joked that she was going to keep all of the other gold medals.