Dani Fennessy (left) with partner and Olympic gold medal-winning Black Ferns Sevens prop Ruby Tui. Photo / Supplied
Dani Fennessy (left) with partner and Olympic gold medal-winning Black Ferns Sevens prop Ruby Tui. Photo / Supplied
Ruby Tui's partner still breaks into tears at the drop of a hat a day after the Black Ferns Sevens won gold at the Tokyo Olympics.
But Dani Fennessy says she never doubted the Ferns would win their final against France - as soon as she saw the women's expressions walking out onto the field, she knew they had it in the bag.
Fennessy watched the Ferns storm to their 26-12 victory over France from the NZHQ at the Cloud on Auckland's waterfront.
But she was more stressed out during the close-fought semifinals against Fiji. The Black Ferns won 22-17 after a try by Gayle Broughton in extra time.
"When it came down to overtime my heart was just through the roof. I just couldn't watch. It's been such an emotional rollercoaster this whole week for me," the 29-year-old said.
"Once G-Fizzle (Gayle Broughton) ran over the line and they got in that final - I'm getting emotional thinking about it. I just burst into tears. I knew how much that moment meant to them."
But once in the final she was confident the team could bring home gold.
"When I saw them run out onto the field and saw what their faces looked like, I was like you got this."
Full Kiwi schedule below. Click on a name to see athlete's bio, upcoming events, past Games performance and medal chance.
Fennessy, who works for NZME radio station Flava, had to congratulate her partner over the phone last night - not that they could hear each other.
"She just called me and held her medal up. I couldn't really hear anything because all the other girls were calling their loved ones and they were all crying and screaming - she just looked at me and held her medal up. That's all she needed to say."
One day after the win Fennessy still bursts into tears at random moments. "I can't stop. I'm just so proud and happy for all of them."
A hilarious BBC interview with Tui after the pool match against ROC has gone viral. Speaking with Fennessy on Flava this morning Tui admitted she wasn't sure why - she was just having a genuine chat.
"People just love genuine people. They love relatability and that interview, that is who she is to a T," Fennessy said.
"I'm glad that the rest of the world got a little taste of that because she's got a lot more to come - this is only just the beginning. On and off the field, she's just such a talented human."
The team are due to return to New Zealand in the next day or so but will have to spend a fortnight in managed isolation.
That will make it eight weeks since the pair saw each other in person.
