Black Ferns try-scoring machine Portia Woodman could get the chance to play in front of Kiwi fans in the Hamilton sevens tournament next year.

Given the controversial comments she made in Sydney, Black Ferns star Portia Woodman must be pleased to learn that a women's sevens invitation tournament could be staged in New Zealand next year.

Woodman vented at the Sydney Sevens last weekend, where for the first time the men's and women's World Series tournaments were held concurrently at the same venue, criticising NZ Rugby for not organising an event that allowed her side to play on home soil.

"If we keep showing we are as good as we say we are, and keep performing as well as we do, they can't not let us play at home," Woodman said.

"[NZ Rugby] have said [it's a lack of] money at the moment, but they can seem to find money for certain things."

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While NZ Rugby will host a world series tournament in Hamilton this weekend - the first time it has been staged in the city after it was transferred from Wellington because interest in the event fizzled out - only the men's team will be in action.

However NZ Rugby's chief strategy and operations officer Nigel Cass said this could be about to change.

Cass confirmed NZ Rugby was trying to arrange a women's invitation tournament for next year's event in Hamilton, which would enable the Black Ferns to perform in front of their own fans.

"So you would maybe get four teams to be part of that tournament in an invitation way, and we have in fact extended that invitation to a number of other teams," Cass said.

"But for a variety of reasons we just have not been able to pull that together [for this weekend's event]."

Cass also confirmed NZ Rugby was in the process of putting together a tender for a men's tournament for 2020 and beyond, and had already indicated to World Rugby that event would include a women's tournament too.

Until then, however, they are trying to set-up their own tournament for the women.

"We don't want to sit and wait until 2020, so we are already engaged in talking to a number of women's teams about the potential for a mini-invitational tournament in Hamilton next year," Cass added.

"While that hasn't worked in the past, we think certainly if we are going to be part of the world series in the future then it might work for next year."

NZ Rugby is open to other ideas in terms of providing the women's sevens team with games, such as arranging for their Australian counterparts to cross the Tasman for contests.

There are five rounds in the women's world series, with tournaments played in Dubai, Sydney, Kitakyushu, Langford and Paris.

World Rugby boss Brett Gosper will attend the tournament in Hamilton, providing an opportunity for NZ Rugby to discuss ways to promote the abbreviated form of the women's game in this country.

Given the tickets to the Hamilton tournament have all sold, NZ Rugby must impress upon Gosper that the dark days of when the Wellington tournament failed to attract interest from fans - and curtailed hopes of lobbying for a leg of the women's series - are no longer relevant.

In the early years of the women's series NZ Rugby was interested in hosting a tournament but World Rugby wanted them in destinations such as China, United States and Holland rather than to return to established rugby markets.

Cass hopes the Hamilton event will enhance New Zealand's reputation.

"There has never been any doubt we run good tournaments, but having stands full of enthusiastic fans is all part of it."