Help the USA Women at the Rugby World Cup
Help the USA Women at the Rugby World Cup
As the USA Women's National Team gets ready to assemble for the World Cup there is some serious movement afoot to make it financially easier for them to represent the USA.
While USA Rugby has the players on a six-month contract, the XV Foundation has stepped in to make things a little easier for the players. USA Rugby’s job is to pay for the things that get the team on the field, so the XV Foundation, headed by former Eagles Kristine Sommer and Alycia Washington, are working on a plan to pay the players directly.
The XV Foundation has raised over $400,000 over the past five years to support USA players. There has been a long history of USA WNT players having to scrape by financially.
At a recent fundraising event in Seattle, former members of the 1991 Rugby World Cup-winning USA team talked about players having to declare bankruptcy after that tournament. In 1994, the players didn’t have full funding for meals and had to run from morning training to a shop that sold baked potatoes to buy their lunch and then run back to afternoon training.
In 1991 when the USA team was invited to the White House and met First Lady Barbara Bush, several players weren’t there because they couldn’t afford to go.
Donate to the XV Foundation at: xvfoundation.com
So Today
The XV Foundation wants to prevent all of that happening. They also want to prevent players being unable to pay their rent, their car payments, or their utility bills.
“The players are experiencing hardship,” Washington told GRR during a fundraising event in Seattle. “There’s no real way to get around that. But we’re working to get around that. We can’t at this time fully erase the hardship, {but} we want to make sure everyone knows that there is hardship and there are players to support.”
XV Foundation sends 96% of the funds it raises to the USA players. The remaining percentage covers some admin costs and make sure the Foundation maintains a minimum bank balance.
The funds go to helping with day-to-day expenses. Many players hold down jobs while they are in USA assembly; while they are playing against full professionals. Some players have had to quit their jobs or take an unpaid leave in order to represent the USA.
As a result, XV Foundation has committed to raising, at minimum, $150,000 to pay directly to the USA players this World Cup.
Early Payment
Some player support plans wait until late in the assembly to pay players, using the funds as incentive. Not with XV Foundation. The need is early, so 60% of money raised will go to players in the early stages of their RWC assembly. That’s at least $3,000 per player. The reason is because this reduces financial stress, and allows the players to relax and worry about performance, not whether their car will be repossessed.
“We the lack of having them stress about full-time jobs with the financial security that donations can bring, we know that they can put their best foot forward in training,” said Washington.
The remaining funds will be distributed as the tournament moves on, and if the USA does well, added Sommer, then it is likely more donors will come forward.
But They Need You Now
They need donors now. Former players, fans of the Eagle Women, and fans of women’s sports can give by going to: …
With 96% of your donation going directly to help players, this is a hugely beneficial donation for the Eagles, their World Cup campaign, and the future of the program.
Large donations are very welcome, but even a small donation can help. Go to: xvfoundation.com
