While many Brock University students are looking forward to winding down after the Winter Term, Ruby Neumann is gearing up for game time, trading textbooks for playbooks as she joins the Hamilton Tiger-Cats.

The fourth-year Sport Management student and women’s flag football player is one of nine women selected from across the country to participate in the Canadian Football League’s (CFL) Women in Football program presented by KPMG.

The initiative is designed to give participants hands-on sport industry experience while allowing them to share their perspectives and skills by joining a club’s football operations department for about four weeks.

In addition to working in football, participants will also be matched with mentors from KPMG who will offer guidance and advice for professional development in a corporate setting.

Neumann will join the Tiger-Cats’ football operations department in May, working alongside Director of Football Operations CJ Paduano and Manager of Football Operations Nick Roberto to help run the team’s training camp.

“As a strong advocate for women in sport, I’m proud to be part of a movement that’s opening doors and creating space for more women in football,” Neumann said.

Her football journey kicked off at Brock, where she helped establish the women’s flag football program alongside fellow Sport Management students Alex Penz, who has also worked with the Tiger-Cats (widely known as the Ticats), and Kae Allison, who worked with the Edmonton Elks through Women in Football.

While the team officially became part of Brock during her third year, Neumann’s involvement stretches back further, including organizing early efforts when the team played under the name Niagara Badgers.

“Football has always been a male-dominated space,” she said. “Now, with flag football growing and being introduced into the 2028 Olympics, we’re seeing more women getting involved, not just as players, but in coaching, operations and leadership roles.”

One of Neumann’s earliest mentors in the sport was Matthew Hill, owner of Niagara Youth Flag Football and the Niagara Nitros, widely considered a major player for flag football in Canada.

Neumann got her start helping with football operations, refereeing and organizing events such as Friday Night Lights.

“Matt gave me so many opportunities to grow,” said Neumann. “I started off just helping out and gradually took on more responsibilities. That experience really gave me the confidence to pursue football more seriously.”

That confidence led to her involvement with a recent Ticats youth camp, where she assisted with skills and drills and gained hands-on experience in a professional setting.

Neumann’s impact at Brock has extended well beyond the gridiron.

As Vice-President of the Sport Management Council, she was the driving force behind the Women in Sport Networking Event, taking the lead on securing panellists, contacting potential sponsors and overseeing event-day logistics.

“The opportunities I’ve had at Brock, from helping build the flag football program to leading major events, have helped me grow both personally and professionally,” she said.

Looking ahead, Neumann plans to pursue a Master of Arts in Sport Management at Brock with the goal of researching on marginalized groups in sport and the evolving landscape of professional women’s leagues.

“Whether it’s on the field or behind the scenes, I want to continue creating more inclusive spaces in sport,” she said. “I want to help ensure underrepresented voices are heard.”