The Black Ferns Sevens team are hoping to play Australia next month.
Black Ferns Sevens players Tenika Willison, Michaela Blyde and Stacey Fluhler (nee Waaka) show off their spoils after victory in Canada. Photo: Photosport
The two World Series tournaments set for May in Paris have been postponed, though the Black Ferns wouldn't have travelled anyway.
That means the Black Ferns will not play the likes of England, France and the United States before the Tokyo Olympics.
Star player Michaela Blyde said the Black Ferns Sevens could not afford to waste two weeks in quarantine on return to New Zealand, meaning games against Australia are the most likely option.
"We obviously can't afford to just have two weeks in a hotel on our own, so we've got to be smart around that. We've just got to make sure we're focused on ourselves, we're ready, fit and prepared to play no matter what comes our way, no matter what adversity, or uncertainty, we're prepared for anything."
Two Black Ferns Sevens teams are playing a tournament in Wellington against a Black Ferns XV's selection and the Moana Pasifika women this weekend and Blyde says they are planning to play Australia across the Tasman next month, with hopes a Pacific Island travel bubble could open up games against Fiji.
"We're contemplating going to Aussie now that the trans-Tasman bubble has opened. Definitely contemplating doing that next month. If not then we'll have something similar to this setup (tournament in Wellington) again in May and we'll go in June to Aussie to prepare then.
"We'll stay here (NZ), the safest place is here and the next safest is Australia so those are the two places we'll go."
New Zealand's Michaela Blyde breaks away for a try on Day 2 of the HSBC New Zealand Sevens at FMG Stadium in Hamilton. Photo: © Copyright Andrew Cornaga 2020 / www.photosport.nz / Photosport Ltd
Blyde said a Pacific Island travel bubble, either for Australia or New Zealand, would mean Fiji might be able to meet the Black Ferns either in Australia or here.
It's understood Rugby Australia does not want to send its women's sevens team to New Zealand, despite the quarantine free travel.
Blyde said the lack of international games would be unusual, but she believed the Black Ferns were in a good position to prepare for Tokyo.
"We have the best players in the world to play and train against. We're grateful for that and it's a massive advantage for us compared to other countries. So, we're just going to keep training hard and whenever we can play we'll play the best."
Blyde conceded it had been a strange couple of years, and missing Paris was a shame, but said it had been easy to find perspective among the Covid-19 pandemic.
"We're definitely happy to still be playing. We're not even thinking about not going overseas at the moment. The fact that we're here being able to play some quality rugby, that's more important for us."
Blyde has her fingers and toes crossed the delayed Tokyo Olympics goes ahead however, desperate for a chance to wrest the gold medal off Australia after the Black Ferns took silver at the 2016 Rio Games.
"Yes! Hopefully we get to get the passport out sooner rather than later, but we'll have to wait and see."
The shape of the Olympics and how the Black Ferns Sevens will approach the Games remains to be seen, but one thing is for sure: Blyde considers it the pinnacle event in her career.
"Yeah definitely. We've had some good talks about how the Games will look. What the concept is, how the plan works when it comes to hotels, quarantine, isolation, our bubbles. We've had those conversations and we're prepared. So, whatever happens, we're ready for it."
While the Black Ferns Sevens do not want to spend two weeks in quarantine in New Zealand before the Olympics, Blyde said going into isolation after the Games with a medal wrapped around her neck would not be so bad.
"Hahaha, no we won't be mad I can tell you that! We'll be happy to quarantine anywhere. The Olympics is our biggest goal."
