This is part one of a two-part series, celebrating exceptional leaders from the women’s rugby team. 

Cassady Smith has a packed schedule: The fifth-year Health Sciences student is specializing in Biochemistry Research Co-op and plays on the varsity rugby team as a prop and a flank. She also volunteers with McMaster’s Student Field Therapist (SFT) and Adults with Disabilities Assisted Physical Training (ADAPT) programs, and heads a club that gets student athletes involved in the community.  

Being a student athlete is “definitely a huge commitment,” said Smith.  “Especially being in a STEM program and playing a sport that takes such a toll on your body. But I love it.” 

Part of why she loves it so much is that being on the team enables her to get even more highly involved. Smith is president of Mac Athletes Care (MAC), a club focused on getting student athletes active in their community. Several other executive members of MAC are also from the women’s rugby team.  

Over the last year, through MAC, the team collected donations for the McMaster’s Children’s Hospital, ran food drives to benefit the Hamilton Native Women’s Shelter and the Hamilton Dream Centre, and organized a clothing drive for the Eva Rothwell Centre.

“As someone who has the privilege to go to university and be able to play a sport in university, it’s really important to me to help my community and people around me,” Smith said. 

At Shoot for the Cure, an annual breast cancer awareness event that runs during a basketball game, the women’s rugby team was “right in the centre,” Smith said. Players volunteered their time to collect donations on the sidelines, and MAC designed a T-shirt and cut hair to donate to make wigs for people with breast cancer.  

“I feel like court sports get a lot more attention at Mac,” Smith said. “We don’t get as many [spectators] at our games… but we can still use our time to go and run these other events at the games that have tons of fans and people there.”  

And Athletics and Recreation is always on board to help, Smith said, which sets them up for success. “Being able to utilize the fact that we have this platform to give back to our community… automatically gives us a foot in the door to helping other people.” 

Supporting sports 

Several members of the women’s rugby team also volunteer as SFTs, working alongside sport medicine professionals to deliver care to varsity athletes. In the 2024-25 year, Smith and her teammates supported the women’s hockey team, the women’s football team, and the track team.  

“As a varsity athlete, I’ve always felt incredibly lucky to be cared for by the amazing SFTs. What’s been even more meaningful is getting the chance to step into their shoes and support fellow athletes myself,” Smith said.

“It’s a humbling experience—you not only gain a deeper understanding of your own body, but also a real appreciation for the behind-the-scenes dedication that goes into keeping us all strong and healthy.” 

The team also volunteers a few days each year at local schools to teach kids how to play rugby and other sports.  

It’s a fun outreach project for them, and a unique offering since not many schools have rugby.  

“Our Routes program is all about sharing the sports we love with kids in our community—and hopefully sparking a passion in them too,” Smith said. “As someone who started playing rugby later on in life, I know firsthand how powerful it can be for a mentor or friend to introduce you to a new sport. Everyone deserves that chance to find what they love.” 

Passing on the legacy  

In April, the women’s rugby team won the Joyce Wignall Award for their extensive community involvement and civic leadership.  

Smith didn’t get to hear the announcement live – she was busy volunteering as an SFT with the women’s hockey team – but she’d been hoping they would win. “We all do so much,” she said.  

“It’s really encouraging to be recognized,” said Smith. “You’re like, OK, I’m making a big enough impact that other people are noticing it. It’s making a difference.” 

Smith is working to instill a passion for helping the community in each new generation of players on the team.  

“I hope one day they can take over Mac Athletes Care, continue the tradition that we have at Mac to keep those initiatives going,” she said. She’s passing on the legacy, to “make sure that this is something that doesn’t end when I graduate this year.”  

 Check back for part two of this story, focusing on player Samantha Slater.