Black Ferns captain Eloise Blackwell
Photo: Icon Sportswire
2021 was touted as being the "golden year" for women's rugby.
Back-to-back major international tournaments with the Tokyo Olympics for the sevens, to be followed by the first women's Rugby World Cup to be held in the southern hemisphere.
But now World Rugby's recommended postponing the Rugby World Cup in New Zealand until next year.
The news that the Rugby World Cup was under threat blindsided Black Ferns captain Eloise Blackwell.
On her morning run today Blackwell got an email from New Zealand Rugby, quickly followed by an alert about the postponement from a media organisation.