‘Bittersweet’ chant in Canada for injured rugby star Sophie de Goede

VANCOUVER — Sitting on the sidelines wasn’t easy for Sophie de Goede.

Sitting in the press box at BC Place on Sunday, the Canadian rugby star was jumping out of his seat every time his teammates looked set for a big game against France in the WXV 1 tournament.

Six weeks after surgery for an anterior cruciate ligament tear and with his knee locked in a major brace, de Goede should not be jumping; can’t resist.

“It’s a bit of a bittersweet feeling,” he said of watching Canada compete. “But I’m really excited to see where they take the game while I’m out. And I hope to be able to add when I get back here.”

De Goede missed a big moment in Canadian rugby this summer.

The 25-year-old from Victoria, B.C., was expected to captain Canada’s sevens team at the Paris Olympics in July, but tore her anterior cruciate ligament at a national team training camp ahead of the Games.

With De Goede’s return home, Canada achieved the silver medal, the country’s best performance in the sport.

“I think in the world of rugby we often feel like we’re a little bit underestimated on the global stage. … I think coming out and doing it at the most important moment in the Olympics shows what a resilient and passionate group of women we have,” de Goede said.

“They will have an impact on the rugby community in Canada that you will see ripples through for years to come.”

He added that the popularity of women’s rugby was growing globally, with more girls joining the sport and new professional clubs opening around the world.

Canada currently ranks third in the world in women’s 15-year-old rankings, but staying at the top will require more investment.

“As women’s rugby is on the rise, we don’t want to be left behind just because we’re a smaller (rugby) country,” De Goede said.

He explained that players from many top-ranked countries are paid annual salaries by their home countries, while Canadian teams receive salaries for training camps and match fees to play individual games.

Many players, including de Goede, who plies his craft with Saracens in the UK, earn money playing for professional teams abroad.

De Goede said hosting events like WXV 1 helps by giving people the chance to see the game played by the world’s best. The tournament, currently held in Vancouver, features six of the world’s best teams, including No. 1 ranked England.

“These (Canadian) women are performing against the odds to a certain degree compared to the resources that other nations are getting and the size of the game in other nations,” she said.

“And really imagine how great our team could be if we had the support of more Canadian partners, if we had more young Canadians who wanted to play on the team, if we had bigger crowds. But you have to start somewhere.”

WXV 1 marks the start of Canada’s preparations for next year’s World Cup in England.

De Goede and his teammates finished fourth at the 2021 World Cup in New Zealand, which was postponed due to the pandemic.

Ahead of the tournament, players quit their jobs and lived out of suitcases with billet families to attend camps in Halifax and Victoria.

“We came very close to England in the semi-final match,” De Goede said. “And if we could have spent more time together at the beginning of this year, we could have caught up on our progress earlier in the World Cup campaign, or potentially before the World Cup campaign, so that we could really be successful when it comes to the middle rounds.

“So what I would love to see in this World Cup cycle is exactly this time, early in this cycle, early in the year when we can invest together.”

As Canada prepares for WXV closer to home this month, de Goede had the chance to spend time with his teammates.

Being around them during a difficult recovery lifted his spirits.

“Whenever I feel down, I have a good team to pick me up and take care of me,” he said.

There’s still a lot of work to be done, but de Goede is confident he’ll be back on the rugby field in Canada before long.

“My mantra is to come back to Sophie 2.0 bigger, stronger,” she said.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 30, 2024.

Gemma Karstens-Smith, Canadian Press