As the mother of a daughter who plays rugby, Lara Morgan has watched many life lessons play out on the pitch.
Her daughter, who started playing rugby as a child and went on to play for Harvard University, is small in stature. She played the position of scrum half.
"Her job was to feed the ball into the scrum and she's in front of the biggest people on the field. She was probably the first person they were looking to tackle," said Morgan, Agile Program Delivery Lead for the Transformation Banking Office at TD Securities.
"To me, there's a lesson in realizing that if you can do that on the field, you can do anything.”
Morgan, alongside many of her colleagues at TD Securities, is a long-time supporter of Rugby in the Square. The annual fundraising event held at Nathan Phillips Square in Toronto invites corporate rugby teams to compete against one another. The teams play flag rugby, so no one gets tackled to the ground.
The funds they raise go to the Toronto Inner-City Rugby Foundation (TIRF), an organization that gives young people access to the game of rugby and opportunities to play.
"TD Securities has been involved since 2018," Morgan said. "We're one of the founding teams and we're the only women's team."
Tim Wiggan, President and CEO of TD Securities, is equally passionate about rugby and its values of inclusion, respect, and teamwork.
He helped TIRF get off the ground. And when not lending his voice to the organization or cheering on the TD Securities women’s team, he works behind the scenes to build colleague engagement so that communities and future generations can have access to the sport, Morgan said.
The TD Securities women’s team competed at the May event, which has grown to include 32 teams from financial institutions, real estate companies, and other industries.
The TDS team is often a mix of Bank colleagues, teenagers who play on a community team, and sometimes even professional players from the Canadian Women's Rugby Team.
"This year, we had Taylor McKnight, a World Cup silver medalist, join us," Morgan said. "We invite women from TD to come to the event, and they can play or not, but we always try to set them up with a rugby buddy for when they are ready to play."
Whether or not you’re on the field, the event also continues to be a great networking opportunity, she said.
Francesca Monte played on the TD Securities women's team for the second time this May, even though her main sport growing up was hockey.
"Sports is a huge part of who I am today," said Monte, who works as an analyst for TD Securities after starting her career at the Bank as a summer intern.
"I really like that Rugby in the Square works to increase accessibility to the sport. The day is super fun, and it always gets a little competitive."
Raising funds for the Toronto Inner-City Rugby Foundation
Some of the funds raised in 2025 through Underwriting Hope, a registered employee-driven charity, will go to TIRF to support its summer youth employment program.
The grant will help fund wages, onboarding, and training for youth in skilled roles, as well as professional development activities throughout the summer. TD Securities colleagues will also provide mentorship to program participants.
Over the past 29 years, Underwriting Hope has raised more than $32 million, supporting 365 children and youth-focused organizations across North America.
The charity’s allocation committee — made up of TD Securities colleagues — chooses where to direct the funds each year.
"TIRF does such meaningful work keeping kids in the game," Morgan said. "When families are priced out [of rugby] by the cost of fees or gear, TIRF will pay the dues. But they do it behind the scenes, so no one knows who is getting support from TIRF and who isn't."
The annual Underwriting Hope fundraising campaign runs each June in Canada and the U.S., with colleagues participating in various activities to continue driving support to children and youth organizations like TIRF.
Making space for women and girls in rugby
Rugby is close to Morgan's heart. Her daughter played as a child, but when she reached her teen years, she and her friends didn't want to keep competing on a co-ed team.
"There were no all-girls teams or clubs for her to join," Morgan said. "So, I helped start one. When it began, we had 13 people in the club. We have almost 100 now."
Rugby has a unique culture of togetherness and mutual respect, Morgan said, which is something that keeps her coming back to the sport.
You're loyal to your team on the pitch, she said, but once the game is over, you celebrate as a united group.
"There's just something really special about how rugby brings people together," she said.