Crowdfunded Canadian women's rugby team reaches World Cup final

Canada’s women’s rugby team, the Maple Leafs, reached the Rugby World Cup final after a crowdfunding push that helped keep the program afloat through this year’s tournament. The team defeated six-time world champions New Zealand in the semifinals, snapping NZ’s hold on a place in the final for the first time in more than a decade and advancing to face England on Saturday.

Event organizers and players had pressed supporters to contribute to a campaign described in March as essential to training, travel and other operational needs ahead of Rugby World Cup 2025. The Maple Leafs launched a crowdfunding appeal seeking $725,000 with the explicit aim of sustaining the bid through the tournament; as of now, they have tapped roughly 95 percent of that goal, or about $689,000.

Canada’s semifinal win over New Zealand marks a historic breakthrough for the program. New Zealand, long considered a dominant force in women’s rugby, was denied a shot at the final after Canada earned a place in the championship match. The victory underscores the growing competitiveness of North American teams at the sport’s highest stage.

England will present a stiff challenge in the world final. The Canadians will be seeking their first women’s rugby world title, while England will be aiming to extend its own dominance at this level. The match will cap a run that has highlighted how fan support off the field can play a crucial role in sustaining teams on the field.

Beyond the ball, the campaign has illuminated how players, federations and supporters have collaborated to keep a program going amid increased costs for competing internationally. While the federation has not publicly detailed the full financials, organizers have framed the crowdfunding as a critical lifeline that enabled the Maple Leafs to train, travel and compete on the world stage through the World Cup cycle.