The Women’s Age-grade Rugby Fund was established in late 2022 by the Canadian Rugby Foundation to raise and invest funds to support Rugby Canada’s women’s age-grade teams and programs, which include U18, U20 and U23. These programs develop young up-and-coming athletes and coaches through a coordinated national pathway towards Sevens and 15s national programs in close collaboration with communities, clubs, schools, universities and provincial unions.
U18 East at Twin Elm July 2023
U20 at TD Place vs USA July 2023
THE GOAL: Invest in the future of women’s Rugby in Canada by raising $2 Million dollars by 2025.
The Women’s Age-grade Rugby Fund would alleviate the heavy financial burden on these young athletes during a pivotal time in their Rugby careers. This includes travel, equipment, and other training costs associated with being an unpaid elite-level athlete. The Women’s Age-grade Rugby Fund is an endowment that will grow year after year, thus enabling age-grade initiatives and supporting the long-term growth of women’s Rugby in Canada in a sustainable, long-term manner. The desired end state is to be truly competitive on the international stage, where the current top teams enjoy prioritized funding from pre-age-grade Rugby and beyond.
“Having the opportunity to play through Rugby Canada’s age grade systems was a huge step in my development as a young player. Those experiences were a bridge between club, provincial and university levels to test match rugby and they provided insight into the professionalism & dedication it takes to wear the maple leaf. The Accelerate Rugby Fund is a huge opportunity to allow access to age-grade Rugby athletes who otherwise would not be able to pay to play. I could not be more grateful for the opportunities and coaches I had at age-grade levels and the incredible teammates and friends I was fortunate to meet through those teams.” — Sophie de Goede, Captain of the Canadian Senior Women XV program.
Following the pandemic, Rugby Canada announced they would relaunch their age-grade national programming in late 2022 through 2023. This comes at a perfect time, with two U20 games planned in conjunction with the Canadian-hosted Pacific Four Series games taking place in Ottawa, Ontario in July 2023.
The Women’s Age-grade Rugby Fund will be seizing this opportunity to host a fundraising event while Canada’s Rugby community descends onto the nation’s capital. While the venue and date are still to be announced, the Canadian Rugby Foundation is looking forward to an evening of inspiration, gathering and merriment in support of securing the future of Canada’s Women’s Rugby program.
“Having a connected and cohesive high-performance pathway for player development is vital to the growth and prosperity of women’s rugby in Canada”, said Kevin Rouet, Canada’s Senior Women’s Head Coach. “The Women’s Age-grade Rugby Fund is an important financial tool in getting our next generation of women Rugby players to experience elite level training and competition on the international stage. It is especially important because 100% of the funds raised provide direct support to the athletes. We are greatly looking forward to the revitalization of our women’s age grade programs this year. Having a connected and cohesive high-performance pathway for player development is vital to the growth and prosperity of women’s rugby in Canada.”
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