Oak Bay rugby star highlights Rugby Canada’s financial plight on Dragons’ Den
Published 12:30 pm Tuesday, February 3, 2026
Sophie de Goede is used to pressure moments. Stepping into the Dragons’ Den was just another kind of tunnel.
The Oak Bay product was front and centre on the Jan. 29 episode of CBC’s Dragons’ Den.
She appeared alongside members of Canada’s women’s and men’s national rugby teams to pitch a $250,000 premium, one-year sponsorship on behalf of Rugby Canada ahead of the 2025 Women’s Rugby World Cup.
“This honestly feels like we are going into a game. It feels like we’re in the tunnel right now, like we’ve done our speech. It feels really similar, it’s kind of neat to be doing that coming out into the Dragons’ Den,” de Goede said during the episode.
The ask was amid Rugby Canada’s Mission: Win Rugby World Cup campaign, an effort to raise $1 million to support the national teams as they prepared for the sport’s biggest stage.
While the Dragons ultimately declined to invest, citing the difficulty of a sponsorship model rather than equity ownership, the pitch shone a national spotlight on the realities facing elite Canadian rugby players.
Rugby Canada CEO Nathan Bombrys said the sport grew 11 per cent nationally in 2024, with 9.1 million Canadians expressing interest.
“I know Canadian sports are very undercapitalized. And we win, and everyone celebrates, but they don’t realize how difficult it is to train and get what you guys need to train at that level,” Dragon Wes Hall said.
De Goede didn’t shy away from the issue.
“We are one of the best teams in the world,” she said. “And we’re constantly fighting for respect, fighting for resources.”
And while the resources may not currently be there financially, de Goede highlighted what makes rugby so impactful.
“What’s special about rugby is it’s a vehicle for empowerment and assertiveness,” she said.
According to Jocelyn Barrieau, head coach of the Canadian women’s sevens program, players receive roughly $1,300 to $2,000 a month to play on the national team, a figure that drew concern from the Dragons.
“I’m dismayed that the government’s not doing more. I really think it’s a shame that we’re not supporting our athletes,” Dragon Arlene Dickinson said.
Despite the rejection, Canada backed up its words on the field.
The women’s team reached the Rugby World Cup final, falling 33-13 to England on Sept. 27, playing in front of 82,000 spectators, which was the largest crowd in history for a women’s rugby match. More than 3.7 million Canadians tuned in from home.
De Goede was later named the women’s 15s Player of the Year. On the women’s side, Canada is currently ranked second in the world, trailing only England, while the Canadian men sit 25th.