The Golden State Retrievers, based in San Jose, became the newest franchise in the Premiere Rugby Sevens league in 2023.
The women's team is led by 2020 gold medalist Ruby Tui of New Zealand. She brought her overseas star power to the U.S., hoping to bring more attention to the sport. She played in the Bay Area as part of her sabbatical. A sabbatical allows Tui to remain under contract with New Zealand and play elsewhere.
"I just was blessed, ended up being the first ever women's rugby player to go on a sabbatical, which is really, really stoked about," said Tui. "People always ask me, what do you see next? How does the growth look like? This is what it looks like: international inclusion of everybody growing as a rugby player."
Tui's accolades include a gold medal in Tokyo, silver in Rio and a world cup champion.
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