Black Ferns star Demant would 'love' PWR return

New Zealand international Ruahei Demant would "love to have the opportunity" to return to play in Premiership Women's Rugby in the future, as she prepares for her final game with Bristol Bears.

The Black Ferns fly-half has spent the past four months with Bristol after signing on a short-term deal while there is no domestic rugby at home.

Demant has played in eight matches for the Bears, scoring two tries, with their showpiece game against Harlequins on Saturday in Cardiff's Principality Stadium her last appearance.

"To be able to finish my time at the moment with Bristol, at the Big Day Out playing at a stadium like [the Principality] for a second time just adds to my own personal feelings of the day and the occasion and what it means to me," Demant told BBC Sport.

"The people have 100% made this experience for me what it is and the people are reason why I'd love to come back, I'd love to return."

However Demant said she had not had any conversations with Bristol about a return as there are "too many things in the air".

The 30-year-old won the World Cup with New Zealand in 2021 but arrived in Bristol off the back of a disappointing tournament for her country, where they were knocked out in the semi-finals - having previously been undefeated in the World Cup for 11 years.

Demant said the time away from home had been "very refreshing" and left her in a better place as she returns with the Pacific Four Series coming up in April.

"It's also given me time to reflect really deeply on that campaign in the World Cup and it's given me a lot of time and I probably wouldn't have had that back home," she said.

"But most importantly it's given me opportunity to just play which is why I love doing rugby, to play games."

Demant is one of a number of Black Ferns players who moved across the world to the PWR in the wake of the World Cup loss and she said it has only been a positive experience.

On the pitch Demant cites being able to grow and evolve her running game, kicking game and also being able to co-captain the team.

"I thought I'd just be sitting back and being a player and learning from the best and playing against the best," she said.

"That's been a really cool challenge and really humbling [to] come in and not play that many games and have the respect from the players and the coaches."

But off the pitch there have been just as many opportunities to learn, particularly Demant says in being able to play alongside people of different nationalities and cultures.

"In New Zealand we're so isolated," Demant said.

"That's probably been one of the highlights, not playing but as a person having conversations with players around what their contracting looks like or what their prep looks like, how they go about their week, what their setups are like, and then also being able to experience that at the Bears, at the PWR level."