RALLY REPORT
Building a Sport System Where Every Girl Can Play, Belong and Thrive
The Rally Report is Canadian Women & Sport’s flagship research initiative tracking girls’ participation and experiences in sport. First published in 2016, and released every two years since 2020, the Rally Report helps the people and organizations that design, deliver, lead, and fund sport understand what’s working, where barriers persist, and what needs to change so all girls can participate, belong, and thrive.
“There is more momentum around girls’ and women’s sport than we have seen in generations. But momentum isn’t the same as lasting change. The opportunity now is to build a sport system that gives every girl a reason and an opportunity to stay.” Allison Sandmeyer-Graves, CEO, Canadian Women & Sport
Turning Progress into Lasting Change for All Girls in Sport
Developed in partnership with Canadian Tire Jumpstart Charities and in collaboration with IMI Consulting, Rally Report 2026 brings together national participation data and girls’ own voices to understand not just whether girls are playing sport, but whether they stay and the quality of the experiences they have when they get there.
The 2026 research examines participation, retention, and quality of experience, while exploring how the unprecedented growth and visibility of professional women’s sport is influencing girls’ interest, engagement, and aspirations.
There is real progress to build on. Girls’ participation remains significantly higher than it was in 2020, and girls have more opportunities than ever to see women competing professionally in Canada. But progress is not reaching every girl equally, and getting girls into sport is only part of the story. The experience they have once they’re there matters, too.
Progress Is Real, but Gaps Persist
6 in 10 girls play organized sport at least weekly. Girls’ participation has grown from 50% in 2020 to 61% in 2026, but girls still participate at lower rates than boys.
The System Is Still Losing Girls Too Soon
4 in 10 girls are not playing at all by age 16. Keeping girls in sport means creating pathways that continue through adolescence and beyond high school, including recreational and accessible ways to play.
Inspiration Needs Somewhere to Go
1 in 2 girls say professional women’s sport has increased their interest in playing. That inspiration creates an opportunity, but only if girls have affordable programmes, strong coaching, and places where they feel they belong.
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