New Zealand women’s rugby team hit with mumps scare

The Kiwi women’s sevens team has been hit by a mumps scare with star player Ruby Tui succumbing to the virus.

Ruby Tui has come down with the mumps on the eve of the Commonwealth Games. Picture: Getty

The New Zealand women’s sevens rugby team, seen as the greatest threat to Australia in the Gold Coast Commonwealth Games competition, has been hit by a mumps scare with starting player Ruby Tui succumbing to the virus.

Tui, the Black Ferns player of the year for 2017 and a World Rugby International Sevens Player finalist, has been placed in isolation on the Sunshine Coast as the rest of the NZ side continues its training for the Games.

Ironically, the team was scheduled to travel to the Games Village today to march in the opening ceremony tonight but with all players needing to be assessed for the virus the plan is now for the Black Ferns to remain in camp on the Sunshine Coast until Sunday. The women’s competition begins on April 13.

Mumps in highly contagious and it is the second time that a New Zealand team has faced such a problem, with the All Blacks’ Reiko Ioane, Luke Romano and Jack Goodhue all falling victim to the virus on the spring tour last November.

Although the Australians are eyeing off all rivals warily, there is no question that they regard New Zealand as the team that stands between them and the inaugural women’s rugby gold. It was New Zealand they relegated to the bronze medal when they won the gold so convincingly at the 2016 Rio Olympics and it was the Kiwis they defeated in the final of the Sydney Sevens in January.

They are currently placed joint second on the World Series table on 30 points, along with the tough Canadian side and Russia, while Australia leads the global series on 40 points.

Tui, who was a member of the Olympic silver medal winning side, is regarded with huge respect by the Australians as a playmaker and her illness comes just a few days after Kat Whata-Simpkins was ruled out of the Games with a leg injury.