Fund hopes to help Canadian national women's rugby team pay for trips

Our national women’s rugby team is one of the best in the world, having placed second in the last world cup, but the players still pay their own way.

But a new fund aims to give our women a leg up.

The sport of rugby is tough enough without players needing to figure out how to finance their participation in major tournaments.

But that’s the situation for players like North Vancouver’s Andrea Burk, who’s getting the word out about the Monty Heald Fund, named after the late president of Rugby Canada.

“In the past, Rugby women in the 15s have always been in the pay-to-play model,” says Burk. “Structures need to change in order to eliminate it completely. We have this fund set up for the 2017 team and part of the goal is to raise enough funds…that we leave a legacy fund for the 2020 squad cycle as well.”

Burk says players have to raise about $1,500 each tour.

“When these financial burdens are taken care of, we’re able to put a little bit more time into our recovery, we’re able to buy a better quality of food because our money isn’t spread so thinly,” says Burk. “When we’re recovering well, then we can train harder and harder each day, and be stronger and more prepared to play big teams like England, New Zealand and France.”

The aim is to raise $400,000 by the end of the year.