Ruby Tui with the Rugby World Cup - won in an extra-tense final against England. Photo / Hannah Peters, Getty Images There's nothing as inspiring as seeing your mum get out of a bad relationship and organise and reach out and get help. It just makes me feel like I can do anything.

Life is crazy, she says, and she’s not going to say yes to every potential sponsor or offer. “It’s like, well, what are you doing to make a difference? She has recently taken time away from the game. Last week, she announced a new two-year deal with the New Zealand Rugby Union but also said she was “taking an immediate sabbatical”. I loved her being there. We hung out there in the basement and I’d just want to be with her all the time, whatever she was doing. Lesh, like me, wanted happy families, but it was never that simple with our dad. Later on, Lesh ended up living with Dad at Grandad’s house. She took over part of the basement, covered the walls in drawings and quotes and made it her own — she’s a real incredible artist. On Tuesday, she added: “To help grow our game around the world, especially in a place like the US, is an opportunity I take very seriously. PR7s has an awesome model for their competition, with equal pay and opportunity for men and women. And I’m absolutely buzzing to play some sevens again!”

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I know the score might have made it look easy, but it was not easy. Don’t be fooled. Lots of running. My GPS blew up – that’s how hard it was. So respect to Russia.” Until just before this book was published, most people didn't know the truth of Ruby's childhood. I'll leave it for you to discover in this book - other than at the end there is just the slightest tinge of bitterness when she says; Lunch with Shayne, yeah!” she says at one point, grinning. This is the first time we’ve met; she’s treating me like an old pal. And Dad? “He’s not as much of an avid reader as Mum, but he’s probably been more open than Mum about his situation. When I was talking to him, I was like, ‘I believe alcoholism in this country is a lot more rife than is talked about or we would like to believe, or is represented anywhere really’. I stood in the sports section, and I searched and searched. I pulled out book after book, but there wasn't a single biography on a Kiwi female in the whole section. I eventually found an autobiography of Billie Jean King, a famous white American tennis player who did amazing things, but that was it.

So later that day me and Dad waited for her outside KFC. Dad had a van at the time, so we all had to squash up together on the front seat — Dad, me in the middle and then my sister, Lesh, on the side. Squashed between my dad and my sister: it was the best feeling in the world. Adults had told me it was impossible to get an older sibling, but here she was. My older sister. I couldn’t believe it. I couldn’t say a word I was so nervous, but inside I was wearing the biggest smile. Then Dad said, Do you want to hang out with her without me? Of course! Down in Canvastown I was a loser, bottom of the heap; but in Wellington I felt cool. I felt better-than — more grown-up than the other kids at my school. No one else was going out and drinking yet, getting stoned. She has already captured the attention of millions of new fans around the world, and we can’t wait for her to join our efforts to build the game in the US.”Women’s rugby is growing 40 per cent, men’s rugby is dropping. So I actually think it’s part of my role to grow men’s rugby as well … like all rugby. Hosting the Women's Rugby World Cup is an extremely special opportunity for New Zealand, Ruby says. I think it’s being in tune with yourself, looking after your mental health, and asking yourself honest questions every day and not being afraid to do that.” We shared so much of the World Cup with the country that it was really niggly trying to get a moment as a team after we won. It was carnage. In the morning, I was still in my full kit, head to toe, in the casino, because it was the only thing open.” So she’s not ready to retire yet; she’s had great advice from the likes of mentor Keven Mealamu and the rugby players’ association.

Tui herself is puzzled by some of the reactions she receives. “I find [it] a bit strange, don’t you? I feel like I’m just chatting. It goes viral, which is weird. It is what it is.” New Zealand rugby sevens star Ruby Tui already won over BBC viewers a few days ago with her charming interview at the Tokyo Olympics. She loved commentating on Super Rugby Aupiki for Sky TV this year, but it was hard not being on the field. She adored travelling to Hong Kong and Singapore and the challenge of calling the international games on the World Sevens circuit.

I’ve got a surprise for you, Dad said one day. I was 11 years-old. We were driving around in his van, and I just looked at him. OK . . . And he dropped a bombshell.