For Bremner

rugby, but also having time to focus on ourselves as well has been really cool.’’

Investment has been the tool that allowed the Black Ferns to produce the sort of rugby that captured the imagination of the country, and NZ Rugby has already signalled further progress in that area with the payment of bonuses.

Bremner said the bonuses have not been a hot topic for the squad – ‘‘As a team we haven’t talked about that at all. We’ve just been focusing on the win and living in that moment’’ – but the impact of the side has been so great that the Black Ferns have surely arrived as a meaningful part of NZR’s overall commercial package.

‘‘It’s so incredible,’’ Bremner said of the fan support. ‘‘Alana and I were just talking about it today.

‘‘When they announced that the World Cup would be in New Zealand, we honestly did not expect anything like this. It’s more than anyone on our team could have ever imagined.’’