I'll be watching the Womenโs Rugby World Cup final today between Canada and England.
This is a true Cinderella story...
England are the best-funded women's rugby team in the world, they have 32 players on full-time contracts. Their highest earners in the squad are reportedly on nearly ยฃ50,000 a year, with bonuses for victories and titles on top, and cutting-edge analysis, preparation and coaching at England's high performance centre.
Since full-time contracts were introduced in 2019, the Red Roses have won 73 of the 75 matches they have played.
England also has the top professional league in the world.
The UK Rugby Football Union committed a combined ยฃ28.7m to its national teams - men and women - in its most recent annual report.
Rugby Canada women, founded in 2016, receives funding of only $2.6m (plus $1m crowdfunded from Canadian fans).
By comparison, the average NHL hockey player makes $3.5m/year!
GO RAVENS!!!
