New Orleans may be sinking but Tragically Hip high on the Canadian women’s rugby team

The Tragically Hip guitarist Rob Baker has added his voice to those behind the Canadian women’s rugby team with a message of support Friday on the eve of the Rugby World Cup final against host England.

The band has already done its bit to help by teaming up with Rugby Canada on a Tragically Hip T-shirts and rugby jersey.

In a minute-long social media video released by Rugby Canada, Baker playfully refers to the top-ranked England Red Roses as “our colonial overlords.”

“England is ranked No. 1 in the world and Canada is ranked No. 2,” Baker said in the video, with the Hip’s “Fifty-Mission Cap” playing in the background.

“Sadly the Canadian team is so badly underfunded we have paired with them to put out a shirt to alleviate some of their funding issues,” he continued. “But for every dollar the Canadian team gets, the British team is getting $140 Canadian. So we need to do a lot better for them. They’re doing their best for us and they make us proud.

“And they’re going to kick some ass on Saturday. I think our colonial overlords will be surprised. Good luck girls.”

Rugby Canada put $2.6 million behind the team to prepare it for the tournament. But that left a $1-million in shortfall in coach Kevin Rouet’s preparation plan.

So Rugby Canada launched “Mission: Win Rugby World Cup 2025” in March, a fundraising drive to raise the missing $1 million. The governing body says it is at 95 percent of its goal.

Baker joins singer Shania Twain, actor Russell Crowe and Prime Minister Mark Carney in social media shout-outs to the Canadian women.

Saturday’s championship game at Twickenham’s Allianz Stadium is expected to draw a sellout crowd of 82,000, a record for an international women’s rugby test match.

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This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 26, 2025.