Team USA's Olympic success in rugby has all eyes on the sport – and now they have been given an incredible $4 million over four years to improve their win from bronze to gold at the 2028 Olympics.
Y. Michele Kang, a philanthropist businesswoman from South Korea, gifted the team the donation hours after their win in Paris.
"2024 has been a banner year for women’s sports with record-breaking attendance and viewership, and women’s rugby is no exception," she said in a statement. "This Eagles team, led by players like Ilona Maher and co-captains Lauren Doyle and Naya Tapper, has captivated millions of new fans, bringing unprecedented attention to the sport. I am so happy to support these outstanding athletes to realize their dream in capturing the gold in Los Angeles in 2028."
But who is the 65-year-old putting her money where her mouth is?
Who is Michele Kang?
© Eurasia Sport ImagesBorn and raised in South Korea, Yongmee Michele Kang came to the United States as a student where she earned a bachelor’s degree in economics from The University of Chicago and a master’s degree in public and private management from the Yale School of Management.
Known as Michele, she is the founder and CEO of health IT consulting company Cognosante and launched Kynisca Sports International in late July 2024, "the first global, female-owned, multi-club organization in women’s football".
What teams does Michele Kang own?
© Ira L. Black - CorbisMichele currently owns three sports teams.
In March 2022, she became the majority owner of American women's soccer team Washington Spirit, at a record valuation of approximately $35 million, making her the first woman of color to own a National Women’s Soccer League team.
She also became the majority owner of Olympique Lyonnais Féminin in Lyons, France in 2023 and London City Lionesses in London, England at the end of the year.
© Eurasia Sport ImagesOL Feminin have won eight UEFA Champions League titles to date, with a record five successive titles from 2016 to 2020 and 14 consecutive domestic league titles from 2007 to 2020.
What did Michele give Team USA Women's rugby?
USA Women’s Rugby Sevens team was given $4million over four years in order to help grow the sport among young girls, and provide improved resources ahead of the 2028 Olympics in Los Angeles.
"2024 has been a banner year for women’s sports with record-breaking attendance and viewership, and women’s rugby is no exception," she said in a statement.
"This Eagles team, led by players like Ilona Maher and co-captains Lauren Doyle and Naya Tapper, has captivated millions of new fans, bringing unprecedented attention to the sport. I am so happy to support these outstanding athletes to realize their dream in capturing the gold in Los Angeles in 2028."
"That work starts now," she continued. "As corporate sponsors and broadcast networks increasingly see the value and enthusiasm for women’s sports, now is the moment to unlock the full potential of these incredible female athletes and inspire generations to come."
What is Michele Kang doing for women's sports?
© BERTRAND GUAYIn late July she officially launched Kynisca Sports International, the "first global, female-owned, multi-club organization in women’s football".
Named after Cynisca of Sparta, the first woman to win at an Olympic Games, the company "intends to assemble teams globally and invest in growing their fan bases and facilities while providing shared resources like training equipment and research, data analytics and scouting support".
The decision comes after Michele realized, after buying a majority stake in American women's soccer team Washington Spirit in 2022, that "women's football basically borrowed their training manuals from the men's game because there is no knowledge about how to train female athletes. They just make it a little less intense and so forth".
"We decided to take on the primary research as well because without that data, we can't really properly train our female players. At the end of the day, we are in the business of producing the best football games for our fans. For us to do that, our athletes have to be in their best shape," she told the press.
What is Michele's net worth?
© Kristy SparowHer net worth is unknown. She founded Cognosante, a medical tech company that aimed to "disrupt and challenge the status quo in the U.S. healthcare system" in 2008. The company was acquired 16 years later in 2024 by Accenture Federal Services but the financial terms were not disclosed.
She has also created the Cognosante Foundation and is an active supporter of The Kennedy Center, who were sponsors for the Spirit in 2022.
Michele has also served on the boards of the American Red Cross, Washington National Opera, and Palm Beach Symphony; in 2023 she sold her 2023 condo in Palm Beach for $15 million, the third-largest sale in the area ever.
