Sarah Goss is about to board a plane to London - nothing new for the New Zealand Women's Sevens captain, but this time it is for an extra special reason.
Goss, along with teammate Portia Woodman, is nominated for the World Rugby Women's Sevens Player of the Year. The awards evening is held in London, the night after the Rugby World Cup final.
"I think I'm more excited about the game than the awards," she says.
"I'm really honoured to be up for such a big award but I suppose it comes down to how great our team is and what we've done as a team to accomplish the goals that we have."
The 22-year-old has come a long way since her heyday shearing sheep in the Manawatu and running around the rugby field at Feilding High School.
This year she successfully captained the side to win the world Women's Sevens Series for the third time in a row. The triumph is one of her favourite memories of the year, especially because it means automatic qualification for next year's Rio Olympics.
It is the first time in history that sevens is included in the games.
"[I'm] obviously excited about the Olympics but obviously a little bit of nervousness around what to expect, what we can't really control and obviously there's a bit of hype around it," she says.
Last year, the loose forward drew comparisons to New Zealand Sevens captain DJ Forbes.
"I've grown as a player a lot, just getting more experience on the world circuit and understanding what I need to do to help the team perform," says Goss.
Coach Sean Horan says Goss works extremely hard and has a high work ethic. It is what goes on behind the lights and lines that makes a player - something he says Goss reflects.
"She's an inspirational captain and leads from the front."
He says the player of the year nomination is a true reflection of the team and each girl individually.
Goss says she still has a lot more to learn, but for now there is a trip to London with her teammate to look forward to.
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