Sophie De Goede

Sophie de Goede is a forceful and skillful number eight. She currently plays for Saracens Women and she captains the Canada national rugby union team. She first led the squad in 2022 at the age of just 22. 

Born on 30 June 1999, de Goede is the daughter of two former Canadian captains, both of whom set records for their respective teams. Her mum, Steph, was the first woman to captain Canada in 1994, while her dad, Hans, was the first person to captain the Canadian men’s team at the Rugby World Cup in 1987.

De Goede's passion for rugby began during her childhood. She started playing at Castaway Wanderers at the age of six and remained with the club for more than a decade. 

In the same year, de Goede captained the Canada U18s Sevens team and she was named Rugby Canada's Young Female Player of the Year. Next, in 2017, she arrived at Queen's University where she was recognised as U Sports' Rookie of the Year. One year later, she represented the Canada U20s team and was named U Sports' Player of the Year.

Fast forward to 2020, when de Goede moved to London to join Saracens Women. Her highlights included beating Loughborough during the 2021 Premier 15s semi-final—de Goede’s performance earned her Player of the Match.

Two years later, she captained her country at the 2022 Pacific Four Series. This was a huge milestone for de Goede but it also meant missing her graduation. However, her sacrifice was rewarded at the delayed 2021 Rugby World Cup. She captained the Canucks at the tournament and successfully steered her team to fourth place. 

De Goede’s individual performances earned her another accolade: she was included in the 2022 World Rugby Dream Team of the Year. One year later, she was the top try scorer at the 2023 Pacific Four Nations. 

With her best years still ahead of her, we can't wait to see what the future holds for Sophie de Goede.