<div><strong>We are here. We need your help. And the clock is ticking.</strong>
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<div><em>McGill Women’s Rugby is at a critical crossroads.</em>
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<div><em>The 2026 season is on the line. Without immediate support, we risk losing not just a team, but a fifty year legacy, a sisterhood, and a life changing student athlete experience that has shaped generations of Martlets.</em>
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<div><em>This campaign is about keeping the current team on the pitch while we fight for the long term future of McGill Women’s Rugby. It is about showing McGill, Athletics, and the broader rugby community that this program matters and that it is not going anywhere.</em>
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<div><em>If you have ever worn the jersey, stood on the sidelines, cheered from the stands, or benefited from the confidence, discipline, and belonging this team builds, we are asking you to stand with us now.</em>
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<div><em>While our initial goal of $35,000 was to ensure the continuation of rugby next season, achieving 95% of that goal in the first 24 hours has prompted us to expand our campaign to cover the costs of a full program for 2026. $75,000 provides the stability and support required to field a competitive, varsity-level team - which is now the focus of this campaign.</em>
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<div><em>Une version française est disponible à </em><a href="https://docs.google.com/document/d/1GlaFhcXBe8MyO2xe5cJ2eFdMnqETSqq_fFlnJWgBTB0/edit?tab=t.0" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener"><em>ce lien</em></a><em>.</em>
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<div>Stay connected to the Martlet community. If you are an alum, parent, supporter, or friend of McGill Women’s Rugby and want updates on the campaign, future fundraising, and ways to support the team, please add your name here:
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<div><a href="https://forms.gle/AwwPGHx3VD7RDh3b6" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Join the McGill Women’s Rugby Alumni and Supporter</a>s
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<div><strong>Why this matters</strong>
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<div>McGill Women’s Rugby has shaped generations of student athletes and built a community that extends across eras, families, and supporters. Once a Martlet, always a Martlet.
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<div>Rugby is a sport of blood, sweat, and tears. It forges bonds unlike anything else, builds confidence, shapes leaders, and teaches you that you are capable of more than you ever imagined. The women you boot up next to become doctors, engineers, teachers, researchers, business and nonprofit leaders, and lifelong friends.
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<div>This team leaves an indelible mark on everyone who passes through those Milton or Sherbrooke gates.
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<div>In recent years, structural inequities and financial pressures have pushed the program into a precarious position. Losing the program means losing the sisterhood that defines this team, the community that carries players through university and far beyond, and the opportunity for future students to grow through the varsity rugby experience.
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<div><strong>From the current team</strong>
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<div><em>Anna Katabi, 3rd year, Bachelor of Arts</em>
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<div><em>“The program has made me who I am today. I learned how to be resilient, confident, and how to use my inner strength to perform on and off the field. I am devastated for future players who will not get the chance to enjoy this life changing experience.”</em>
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<div><strong>What is at stake</strong>
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<div>We risk losing a fifty year legacy of resilience and excellence. A program that grew from scrappy grassroots beginnings into a dynasty that produced national champions, Olympians, and athletes competing at the highest levels of the sport.
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<div>We are at a crossroads. What we do now will determine whether this legacy continues or ends.
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<div>This is our moment to stand together and protect the future of McGill Women’s Rugby. Whether you played in 1975 or 2022, whether you are a parent, partner, friend, or fan, you are part of this community.
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<div><strong>How your donation helps right now</strong>
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<div>With the 2026 season on the line, this fundraising goal supports the essentials required for a competitive, safe, and sustainable varsity program, including:
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<li>Coaching staff
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<li>Athletic therapy
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<li>Strength and conditioning
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<li>Travel for competitive fixtures
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<li>Training resources
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<li>Access to facilities and fields
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<li>Kit and equipment
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<li>Athlete support
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<li>Program infrastructure
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<div>Every contribution helps keep the team together and on the field.
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<div><strong>Notes for your donation </strong>
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<li>Funds are raised on behalf of McGill Women’s Rugby
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<li>The account holder is acting only as a temporary custodian
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<li>Funds will be transferred once the program’s status is finalized
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<li>No tax receipts will be issued, as this is not a registered charity
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<div><strong>Thank you</strong>
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<div>Thank you for believing in this team, this community, and the generations of Martlets who have come before and those still to come. We will be providing regular updates here on the fundraising page and across the McGill Women's Rugby and Alumni platforms.
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<div>Once a Martlet, always a Martlet.
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Ann Hebert

Mark Yerbury

Nacim Hamane

Janeth L Vega-Flores

Anonymous

JAMES RICHARDS

Kelly Albert

Kirk Coleman

Judith Kelley

Emma Bragg

Anne Coyle

Robert Butler

Robert Tayler

Catherine Jin

Roo Chintoh

Dominic Schofield

David Hinchey

Stephanie Jaworski

Save McGill Women’s Rugby - Protect the 2026 Season

Save McGill Women’s Rugby - Protect the 2026 Season

Still $15,957 to go. Help us build momentum.