Barbs captain named to Rugby World Cup national squad

October 18, 2017 · 0 Comments

By Jake Courtepatte

For the first time in its history, the Canadian women’s rugby team will participate in the Rugby World Cup.
And the Aurora Barbarians will forever be a part of that history, thanks to longtime vet and current captain Mackenzie Fane.
Fane, whose experience has taken her to competition at the local, provincial, and national levels for the past decade, was one of 24 women named to the Rugby World Cup squad last week, with the tournament set to kick off in just under a month in Australia.
The fledgling Canadian program is one of six to take part in the women’s competition, while the men’s will showcase 14.
Fane is looking for aid from family, friends, and rugby fanatics alike in helping her realize her rugby dreams, having set up a Go Fund Me page to cover the costs of the trip.
“Unfortunately women’s rugby operates on a pay-to-play model, meaning that players need to find ways to cover their expenses in order to play,” said Fane. “Largely this is done through fundraising. For example, I have paid to fly out to British Columbia for final tryouts and will be paying part of the costs of flights and accommodations in Australia.”
“In addition there are the costs of physiotherapy, equipment and lost wages as all of us will be out of work for a month!”
Her Go Fund Me page can
be found at www.gofundme.com/mackenzie-world-cup-2017.
Fane and the squad leave for Australia on November 6, playing
a test match against a local
Queensland side on November 10 before tournament action.
Canada opens the tournament on November 16 against New Zealand, before facing Papua New Guinea on November 19 and the defending champion Australian squad on November 22.