"Win a World Cup in 2029" - Sophie de Goede reveals Canada's need for more support to be World Champions

The Red Roses ran riot at the home of English Rugby, with a five-try blitz and a relentless display of forward pack dominance. England boast a thriving women's set-up, as the Red Roses have not lost a single Test match in 33 consecutive fixtures, with John Mitchell's side staking a real case towards being the greatest women's rugby team of all time.

Couple this with Premiership Women's Rugby, as England's PWR league is the powerhouse division in the global women's game and attracts the best talent from all over the world. De Goede plays her club rugby for Saracens, with the majority of her Canada teammates also mainstay stars of the PWR.

For de Geode, the difference of investment for women's rugby is staggering between England and Canada. The Maple Leaves reportedly crowd-funded $1m to even be at the tournament to begin with, as de Goede took home the silver medal from the final, along with the 2025 World Rugby Women's XVs Player of the Year Award.

De Goede stressed the importance of keeping up this momentum, and sustaining a level of increased financial support from Rugby Canada as the women's game enters the Rugby World Cup cycle for 2029.

“Well, on our part, we'll just keep working. I do think more financial backing would be incredible for us, to give us the resources to invest in this team over the next four years I think we did an incredible job of rugby [on the pitch].

"[Rugby] Canada did an incredible job of giving us the best opportunity possible, especially over this last year. But if we can create four years of momentum off the back of this, I think we have a really, really good shot of repeating this performance and going that final step in 2029.”

Even faced with England’s well-funded programme, de Goede stayed focused on Canada’s path. “I don't know. I only want to talk about us to be honest. I think the RFU does a really good job of supporting their women's programme.

"They're leading in this space. If we look at the rugby game today, England fully deserved the win, regardless of how much investment we had, regardless of the investment discrepancies, we could have won that game today, and we just didn't put it out on the field. I think that's the big takeaway for me, how can we improve on the field. But as I said, for the Canadian side, more investment will only help us.”

“Throughout the year, but more so this whole World Cup run, has created momentum back home for rugby in Canada, we've really seen it kind of explode, or we felt that from here. I just want to be able to continue that momentum forward." De Goede said.

"We grinded in the dark for three years to have our moment in the light. I know this team, we'll keep grinding for another four years so that we can win a World Cup in 2029. I'd love for less of that to be in the dark, and we can carry this momentum forward and do more of that grinding in the light.

"I really believe we could have won that game today with the amount of investment that we had this year and all the backing that we have from Rugby Canada. They did incredible to give us the best opportunity this year.

"Over the next four years, if we can increase our investment in the game and increase and ride this momentum back home, that will only increase our odds of winning in 2029 and creating, that 'TSN turning point' for rugby in Canada, this World Cup can be that. So I really, really hope, and I'll do everything in my power to make sure that this momentum continues to be on this point.”

The Canada captain also highlighted rugby’s ability to empower young girls, with the North American nation hoping to see an influx of aspiring superstars step across the whitewash and start their own personal journeys to the Maple Leaves.

“I think girls for girls in sport. I think a contact team sport is so empowering. It allows us to be assertive. It allows us to feel dominance. It allows us to step into our physical presence and hold our own. So I'll continue to preach that message.

"Then I think the community that we have in rugby is like no other. There's a space for literally everyone, every shape and size, and we're an incredibly accepted community. So I think it's a really, really special community to be a part of. Having grown up in the Canadian rugby community, there's none like it.

"I would love for more young girls to want to represent Canada and represent the Canadian rugby community, but also just to play club rugby and just to get exposed to it and to step into their own power.”