Belief and Vindication for Canada
For Canada, the victory represents the culmination of years of belief and tactical development under head coach Kevin Rouet. Captain Sophie de Goede had previously spoken about the lingering pain of Canada’s defeat to England in the 2025 World Cup final, as well as her frustration following September’s draw in Exeter when Canada opted to kick the ball dead to secure the draw rather than play for the win.
In Toronto, however, Canada proved they could not only compete with the world’s benchmark team, but actively hunt down a victory in the closing minutes. De Goede noted that her squad demonstrated the true "DNA of our team" by staying composed and finding a way to win under extreme pressure.
Canada scrum-half Justine Pelletier emphasized the broader impact of the historic night for the sport in North America.
"It’s a little bit more than just the score at the end because we won on so many levels," Pelletier said. "Off the field, the crowd, being home. That win at the end on the pitch was just the cherry on top. It was good to beat England but I think for a few years now, we knew that we could beat them. It was just a matter of time and a matter of putting every detail together."
Looking Ahead in the WXV Global Series
The two sides will not have to wait long to renew their rivalry. England and Canada are scheduled to meet again in Ottawa on Friday, 23 October (early hours of Saturday UK time), where the Red Roses will be eager to respond to their first defeat in nearly two years.
Following the Ottawa fixture, England will conclude their 2026 WXV Global Series campaign against the United States in New Jersey on Friday, 30 October at 21:15 GMT.
Match Summary
- Final Score: Canada 24 – 21 England (Half-time: 5–14)
- Canada Tries: Bauder, Corrigan, Menin, Seumanutafa
- Canada Conversions: De Goede (2)
- Canada Sin-bin: Royer (30)
- England Tries: Feaunati, Harrison, Bern
- England Conversions: Harrison (3)
- England Sin-bin: Harrison (13)
Lineups
Canada: Savannah Bauder; Alysha Corrigan, Fancy Symonds, Shoshanah Perry, Magali Hogan-Rochester; Alexandra Tessier, Olivia Apps; Brittany Nelson, Sara Idowu, DaLeaka Menin, Sophie de Goede (c), Laetitia Royer, Gabrielle Smith, Temitope Omokhuale, Fabian Gibson.
Replacements: Emily Tuttosi, Brittany Kassil, Mikiela Rempel, Laetitia Forteza, Pamphinette Buisa, Gabrielle Senft, Justine Pelletier, Shoshanah Seumanutafa.
England: Ellie Kildunne; Jess Breach, Meg Jones (c), Tatyana Heard, Claudia Moloney-MacDonald; Zoe Harrison, Lucy Packer; Hannah Botterman, Amy Cokayne, Sarah Bern, Abbie Talling, Lilli Ives Campion, Georgia Burton, Alex Matthews, Maddie Feaunati.
Replacements: Lark Atkin-Davies/Field, Mackenzie Carson, Maud Muir, Morwenna Short, Sadia Kabeya, Natasha Hunt, Helena Rowland, Emma Sing.
