The recent $4M gift to the U.S. women's rugby team is a significant milestone for the sport: "We've always dreamed of being recognized"

This week, the U.S. women's rugby sevens team won their first Olympic medal, marking a significant milestone for a sport that has long been overlooked.

Phaidra Knight, a former U.S. women's rugby sevens team player and World Rugby Hall of Fame inductee, says the impact was enormous. "I mean, there's no other way to put it," she says.

"The future of rugby in America will be significantly impacted by the changes."

Knight served as a rugby analyst on NBC's broadcast team during the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris.

For the first time, I was betting on myself, Sunny Choi quit her six-figure job to breakdance in the Olympics.

After their historic victory, the sevens team received a $4 million donation from Michele Kang, a women's soccer club owner and a passionate advocate for the advancement of women's sports, as reported on the official USA Rugby website.

Kang's massive investment, spanning four years, could signal to other investors to follow suit in preparation for the 2028 Summer Olympics.

In 1999, when Knight joined the U.S. National Rugby union team, which is different from the sevens team, the program didn't receive funding. Many professional rugby players join the U.S. National union teams prior to joining a sevens team; four national teams are under USA Rugby.

Knight says, "I frequently had to pay to play with the U.S. I had to pay a camp fee and also usually had to pay for my travel, including my flight. Additionally, I had to take time off work."

"We had to bear the tough burden of not receiving any per diem or supplements."

Knight has played in three Rugby World Cups and believes World Rugby should offer a subsidy to cover the costs and expenses associated with participating in these tournaments.

She states that they will collaborate with various clubs nationwide to raise funds.

'We've always wanted to be included, right at the table'

The funding for the men's and women's national rugby teams in the U.S. was significantly different, with the men's teams receiving more funding than the women's teams, even when Knight made her debut in 1999, despite the U.S. women's team winning the 1991 Rugby World Cup.

The U.S. men's rugby teams were not required to pay to play, as the USA Rugby allocated more funds to them. This was an issue of inequity, according to her.

"The door would always be shut by the men, preventing us from being included at the table."

The sevens program is now free for players due to investments from philanthropic groups like the Golden Eagles and additional funding from USA Rugby.

Knight states that the women's U.S. Rugby sevens team players receive salaries and can concentrate solely on rugby.

Some players in the sevens program receive money from private donors, resulting in a range of average salaries.

"Knight says that historically, some players had to work jobs to participate in the Olympics, but now they don't have to pay to play. However, he questions whether they are making the same amount of money as other professional athletes in other sports."

The pay disparities between female rugby players and male rugby players are equivalent to the salary differences between WBNA players and NBA players.

The Olympics have sparked optimism for women's rugby, as Knight believes it will receive the same level of attention as the WNBA following the success of Caitlin Clark and Angel Reese.

Knight believes that with more donations like Kang's and sponsorships for women's Rugby players, we'll all be keeping a closer eye on the sport.

For over a decade, there has been discussion about America's potential as a dominant force in rugby, with the sports market in the US being highly lucrative when this 'giant' awakens.

The U.S. has won hosting rights for the 2031 Rugby World Cup.

"The majority of those in charge and making decisions were men, who believed that men's rugby was the sleeping giant that would awaken and bring greatness, but in reality, it is women's rugby that is the sleeping giant."

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