The Canada women’s national rugby team have always been one of my favourite teams. They’ve undergone a process of development and bringing young members into the squad to learn, grow and develop as authentically as possible. And it came as a surprise to the world when the team made the finals of the Rugby World Cup back in September, even though they are the second ranked team in the world! Meeting the Red Roses, the all-out favourites in the final in front of a packed out, 80000 strong crowd was a sensational moment for Rugby Canada but the story of these players went far beyond holding the runners up medals.
Before we get into that, let me just remind you that Sophie de Goede was named World Rugby’s Player of the year for 15’s.
Canada beat New Zealand in the World Cup semi – final by scoring 5 tries and leaving the Ferns with their biggest margin of defeat in world cup match, it was thrilling to watch. Although they have a track record of wins and strength, they still speak of being the underdogs and perhaps the situation around them builds in to that narrative.
Crowdfunding
Women’s rugby in most nations is one where funding, or a lack thereof is frequently a topic of conversation. National teams just don’t get funding and team Canada are in the same situation. To get to the rugby world cup, they had to crowdfund. The second ranked women’s team in the world, had to crowdfund. Calling it “Mission, win rugby world cup 2025,” the crowdfunding mission was for training camps, and the necessities needed by the 32 strong team to get to the world cup and to compete at a level they would be proud of. The project exceeded its mission, raising over one million Canadian dollars. This reality is both inspiring and jilting. Inspiring because the public are behind their team, but jilting because these players are not being paid properly to represent their name or the brand of rugby they are known to play. Each senior player receives only 2000 Canadian dollars a month to play rugby. An average salary in Canada is between 4500 – 5000 a month, the national team are earning less than half of that.
The Dragon’s Den
Before their crowdfunding mission, the Canada women’s team were invited on to Dragons Den. Their episode recorded on May 17th 2025, months before the world cup. At the time, the team were looking for sponsorships for their upcoming World Cup campaign, but the show would only air at the end of January 2026. Which is why crowdfunding was so essential, but back to Dragons Den. It was a great pitch, made by Rugby Canada’s CEO Nathan Bombrys, Sophie de Goede, Pam Buisa (who was sadly injured just before the World Cup), and sevens coach Jocelyn Barrieu.
Sophie de Goede was honest when she stated that “we are one of the best teams in the world, constantly fighting for respect, fighting for resources.” Even though the ask was for 250 000 for a premium one-year sponsorship, ultimately the dragons did not invest. Of course, this doesn’t mean TV time results in nothing. There may have been some investors watching. Let’s hope. But what team Canada have done is nothing short of fighting for their mission, their team, their aspirations and their future, all while unconsciously raising the curtain on the funding crisis that exists in sport. Especially women’s sport. The team have elevated the conversation, made it centre stage and it should be. If the second ranked team in the world are playing with minimal resources, let us spare a thought for lower ranked teams who have often spoken about their own lack of funding (like the Manusina Samoa who also made it to the Rugby World Cup but whose players do not get a dime or dollar to play!)
Personally, I understand economics, but what we are seeing through research and data is that brands and organisations are still hesitant to invest in women’s sport. Though fans are hungry, engaged and the interest continues to grow, women’s sport is lagging behind in terms of investment. (The Escape Collective published an informative survey on investment in women’s sport, it’s worth a read.)
And at the end of the day, this isn’t an underdog story — it’s a wake-up call.
