Bronze Medal Nets USA Sevens WNT A Big Donation
Bronze Medal Nets USA Sevens WNT A Big Donation
In the world of feast or famine for Olympic sports, the feast may well have arrived for the USA Women's 7s program.
Facing a strong possibility of a drastic reduction in funding if they logged a poor performance, the Eagle women instead won Bronze in Paris, beating Australia yesterday 14-12 to take the medal. And that also meant a massive donation boost. It's anticipated that the USOPC will be more open to funding, or increasing funding, with a medal in the trophy case, but more tangibly, they already have a pledge of $4 million for the next four years.
Michele Kang, owner of the Washington Spirit, Olympique Lyonnais Féminin, and London City Lionesses women’s soccer clubs, announced after the USA's success that she will donate $1 million in each of the next four years to the USA Women’s Rugby Sevens Team.
“2024 has been a banner year for women’s sports with record-breaking attendance and viewership, and women’s rugby is no exception,” said Kang, who is founder of Kynisca Sports International. “This Eagles team, led by players like Ilona Maher and co-captains Lauren Doyle and Naya Tapper, has captivated millions of new fans, bringing unprecedented attention to the sport. I am so happy to support these outstanding athletes to realize their dream in capturing the gold in Los Angeles in 2028. That work starts now. As corporate sponsors and broadcast networks increasingly see the value and enthusiasm for women’s sports, now is the moment to unlock the full potential of these incredible female athletes and inspire generations to come.”
USA Rugby CEO Bill Goren responded to this:
“We are stunned and beyond grateful for this transformative gift from Michele to advance USA Women’s Rugby,” said Goren. “This will allow us to supercharge the progression of this program as we build to climb the podium in 2028 with Gold Medal aspirations in Los Angeles. This increase in support will ensure we can deploy the resources to the right places to win when it matters the most, inspiring a nation of rugby players and solidifying our place on the world stage.”
It's important to note that this is a gift specific to the Women's 7s team—not the 15s team and not to the Men's programs. While other fundraising efforts have sometimes included the women's teams, and sometimes not, nothing exclusive to the Women's 7s of this magnitude has been given.
And when you consider that USA Rugby's entire budget is about $13 million, and the most recent info we have on the USA Women's National Team line item (from 2022) shows a budget of about $3 million, you can see how important an extra $1 million can be.
