in September, Canada Scrum-half Olivia Apps said RugbyPass that “all we’re doing this year is beating England”. Canada achieved that ambition by winning on Friday night England 24–21 at BMO Field
Sometimes, that single-mindedness can destroy a team. But not for Canada, who didn’t just get revenge for the women last season Rugby World Cup the final defeat, but also put the Red Roses in a position they had not occupied for four years: on the losing side.
The result ended England’s 41-match unbeaten run and kicked off the October fixture WXV Global Series 2026 in spectacular fashion. Honestly, there’s been something special in the air since the two teams met in September, when Canada held the Red Roses to a 26-26 draw in the first of three legs of the 2025 Women’s Rugby World Cup final.
At the end of that contest, Canada’s players made no secret of their anger at being told to kick the ball out of play at Sandy Park. Sophie de Goede said she “wanted to go for the win” before confronting her head coach during their post-match press conference.
As soon as Canada arrived at BMO Field in Toronto, they were greeted by a wall of noise and red flares of smoke. As Canadian lock Letitia Royer wrote in her column this week, the hosts have put England in an “uncomfortable situation”.
That discomfort continued as the 18,621 fans who packed the venue set a new North American attendance record. The ground was visibly shaking as fans waved towels in the air, providing a striking visual display of the momentum behind the hosts.
Soon, attention will turn to next Friday’s game in Ottawa. John Mitchell’s team can now only draw their three-match series against Canada. If the meeting between the first and third ranked teams in the world wasn’t already mouth-watering, it sure is now.
“When you’ve done it once, you want to do it twice,” Canada head coach Kévin Rouet he told Jax Talks Sports full time. “But to do it twice, you have to be serious. We have to enjoy this evening, but we have to get back on the pitch tomorrow.”
Interestingly, Canada thought they had left the points on the field at full time. In fairness, both teams could make that argument, as they coughed up possession 15 times each. Canada also conceded 15 penalties. By those measures alone, it’s extremely impressive that Rouet’s team got the job done.
A look at the stats helps explain how Canada ended up securing the win. The home team had 55% of the possession at BMO Field. They also carried the ball 36 times more than their opponents and gained more meters after contact, with 173m to England’s 142m.
However, the line-breaking statistics revealed the biggest difference between the two teams. Canada made 16 line breaks, while England only managed four. That ability to push on neatly described how the hosts went about their business, with their constant attacking pressure pushing the Red Roses’ defense to the limit.
Canada’s defensive resolve was equally impressive. Much of England’s possession was inside Canada’s 22m (46%) – Canada had to remain disciplined and recognize the right moments to contest possession and turn over. Royer’s yellow card in the first half provided a stern test, but Canada held firm.
In the end, Canada had 10 turnovers. Savannah Bauder had two, while eight other players won one each.
Alysha Corrigan made four breaks on the Canadian line, one of which culminated in a try by the winger. Having missed the September games through injury, she made an immediate impact on her return to Test rugby, having last played for Canada 13 months earlier.
Corrigan’s four line breaks were enhanced by fullback Savannah Bauder, who broke the England line five times.
Then came some truly top players. De Goede, as always, combined attacking brilliance with tenacious defensive work. In full time, the Canadian captain made 20 tackles and carried the ball 15 times. She was as hard as nails.
Then there was DaLeaka Menin. After being named man of the match when the two teams met in Exeter a month ago, she repeated the feat in Toronto with 15 clearances, 12 tackles, three breakaways and a try. It was an outstanding performance.
“We show resilience in every aspect off the field, so it has to translate on the field,” De Goede told RugbyPass TV. “I think we sharpened up in the final moments to show resilience at the end of the game and find a way to win.”
At full time, the emotions were clear. The Canadian players shed tears of joy and huge smiles spread across their faces. Rouet, as you may have seen, was blown up by his team to celebrate his role in engineering England’s first defeat since the finals of the 2021 Rugby World Cup (hosted in 2022).
Both sides now face a unique week of preparation. England not only have to rebuild their morale and get back to winning ways, but also prepare for their third North American clash against England USA Women’s Eagles in New Jersey. Meanwhile, Canada has one more shot this year and one more on home soil.
“I think what we’ve been trying to show the world finally came out today,” Menin said. “There are still moments we have to clean up and we made it difficult for ourselves, but I’m so proud of the result.”
