In March 2025, Rugby Canada launched a fundraising campaign with the goal of raising $1 million to go to the Rugby World Cup. Six months later, they found themselves before a sold-out crowd of 82,000 attendees, playing against England’s Red Roses to win the esteemed title of World Champion.
It took a lot of work to get from where they were to where they are now, so let’s take a look at Team Canada’s magical run.
Gathering the Funds
During the time of the fundraiser launch, CBC’s As It Happens reported that Rugby Canada’s recorded revenue was $15.57 million in 2023, and its expenses amounted to $15.12 million.
Conversely, England’s Rugby Football Union recorded a revenue of 175.2 million pounds ($325.3 million) in its 2023-24 annual report, 20 times more than Team Canada.
Canada’s team operates at the amateur level, with its players not receiving paid salaries. This is not uncommon for a national sports team, but it puts them at odds with other rugby teams that have reached the professional level in recent years.
Despite being the second-best team in the world, Canada remains one of the few teams that are still amateur. No. 1-ranked England, No. 3-ranked New Zealand, and No. 4-ranked France are all professional teams.
To help send “the best-ever prepared Canadian team to the World Cup,” the association put out a call for donors, according to Rugby Canada. They promised to match donations up to $50,000 via a private sponsor. The money would pay for increased training time, additional players, coaching staff and room and board.
According to the fundraising site, they raised 95 per cent of their goal. Even Canadian band, The Tragically Hip, helped as well, by selling limited edition T-shirts and vintage jerseys with proceeds going to support the Canadian women.
World Cup Play
Entering the tournament, Team Canada was ranked second in the world ahead of their first face-off against No. 14-ranked Fiji for Pool B play. Fullback Julia Schell had a record-breaking six tries to lead Canada to a dominant 65-7 win, beginning their Pool B schedule with four points, the maximum amount.
Keeping their hot streak going, Canada dominated Team Wales in a 42-0 victory with perfect plays from back row Sophie de Goede, who earned player of the match honours. The Canadians earned their eighth-straight win against Wales since 2007 and nilled them for the third time in that run.
Trying to finish atop Pool B, Canada battled with No. 6 Scotland for the title. Tyson Beukeboom made history in winning fashion as she earned her 81st cap (appearance in a game at an international level) to become Canada’s all-time most-capped rugby player across both men’s and women’s teams. Team Canada capped off their pool play with a 40-19 win, sealing a perfect 3-0 pool record with a +121 point differential against its competitors.
Team Canada had already achieved their main goal— to finish first in Pool B. As they entered the quarterfinal round, the Canadians had the grit and drive to propel them all the way to the end.
Up against Australia, Canada wasted little time in stamping their authority in the match, having a 31-5 advantage at halftime. The Canadians dominated every metric in the opening 40 minutes, carrying for more than 500 metres and beating three times as many defenders as their opponents. Ending the match with a 46-5 victory, the Canadians remained undefeated through four matches at the Rugby World Cup, setting the stage for a semi-final matchup against New Zealand.
Before the match, the defending champions welcomed Team Canada with a haka.
In the semifinal round against the reigning champions, Canada came out firing right from the start. At halftime, despite New Zealand’s best efforts, the Canadians had a commanding 24-7 lead. New Zealand rallied with tries from Liana Mikaele-Tu’u and Braxton Sorensen-McGee in the final quarter, cutting the deficit to 31-19, but Canada held on with the help of a late penalty goal from de Goede, sealing a landmark 34-19 victory to book Canada’s second-ever Rugby World Cup final appearance.
Facing off against England, the best rugby team in the world, the Canadians had their work cut out for them.
Canada opened up the scoring with a try (a way of scoring points by grounding the ball in the opposition’s in-goal area) in the fifth minute. Although de Goede’s attempt rattled off the upright, the Canadians led 5-0 and set the tone with their ambitious style of play.
England responded quickly, shifting into high gear and taking a 21-5 lead over Canada, but the Canadians refused to give up.
De Goede slotted a penalty goal in the 34th minute to give Canada three additional points, but England was still up 21-8 at halftime.
The second half saw England reduced to 14 players after Hannah Botterman received a yellow card. Canada capitalized on the opportunity and cut the lead to 26-13. Schell nearly produced another score minutes later, but England’s defence was able to hold firm throughout the period.
As the final whistle blew and England took a 33-13 victory, Team Canada found themselves reflecting on their magical run: one that will go down as one of the proudest chapters in Canadian rugby history.
The team outperformed the expectations of many doubters, finishing the tournament with five wins, silver medals, and a legacy that will last a lifetime!