The victorious Black Ferns have been welcomed home after winning the Rugby World Cup Sevens in San Francisco.
The team defended their World Cup title, ending with a triumphant 29-0 win against France in the finals.
A small contingent of friends and family welcomed the athletes home at the Auckland Airport this morning.
Among them was Tyla Nathan-Wong's grandfather, David Wong, who patiently waited at the arrivals gate with a bouquet of flowers and a "Welcome Home" balloon.
He said their family could not be more proud of his grandaughter, who scored a try in the final game.
"We're welcoming her home and we're going to just give her all the cuddles we can because we think she's achieved so much."
Former All Black legend Sir Michael Jones was also at the airport to congratulate the players.
Team members said they were elated with the win and looked forward to a six-week break at home.
Tyla Nathan-Wong arrives back home with her Black Ferns team members in New Zealand after defending their sevens world cup title in San Francisco. Photo: RNZ / Dan Cook
Former Black Ferns rugby union captain and NZRU board member Farah Palmer told Morning Report she was proud of the team for setting a standard.
"We are really, really proud of the team for what they've achieved at this recent World Cup so [it] just adds to the legacy of what it means to wear that black jersey."
However, she said the win did not mean they would be taking a relaxed approach for the future.
"You only have to look back a couple of years ago and we weren't in such a great position ... we are constantly looking at how we can improve, at how we can do things better," Ms Palmer said.
"The Sevens' girls themselves, or women, said they would like to win the World Series so there is still some things that they would like to achieve."
The Black Ferns arrive home in New Zealand after defending their Sevens World Cup title in San Francisco. Photo: RNZ / Dan Cook
The focus on improving the team and the support around them helped them find success, Ms Palmer said.
"I know that both the women's and men's team have focused on team culture, they've actually put a lot of emphasis on Māori culture as well in terms how they can gel as a team and how they can get the best out of each other," she said.
"I think that's what makes New Zealand rugby and anyone who wears the black jersey maybe just a little bit different to some other teams."
There was hope that the the Black Ferns' victory would help attract more attention from potential players, Ms Palmer said.
"I don't think we're trying to coach them necessarily but we're trying to say 'hey have you thought about this sport? It may not be for everybody but have a go', and we find most people who pick up the oval ball and start tackling people really love it."
She said there were other goals in place to keep interest in the sport flowing.
"We're looking at the hosting of the World Cup and things like that that we really want to try and keep and providing this wave of momentum of enthusiasm for not only men's rugby but women's rugby [too]."
The New Zealand men's sevens team followed in the Black Ferns' footsteps, successfully defending their World Cup crown in San Francisco yesterday afternoon.
