Canada Ends England’s 41-Match Unbeaten Run in Women’s Rugby

Canada ended England’s four-year, 41-match unbeaten run in women’s rugby on Friday night, beating the world’s top-ranked side 24–21 in front of a record home crowd at BMO Field in Toronto.

The result was Canada’s first on home soil against the Red Roses and their first win over England in a decade. England had not lost a match since the 2022 Women’s Rugby World Cup final, a span that also included a 26–26 draw with Canada in Exeter in September.

How it unfolded

Canada opened the scoring in the 16th minute, when quick hands out wide released Savannah Bauder and sent the crowd of 18,621 into celebration. England’s forward power then told. With Canada’s Laetitia Royer sent to the sin bin for repeated infringements in the 30th minute, Maddie Feaunati and Zoe Harrison both touched down off powerful scrums to give the visitors a lead at the break.

Canada responded early in the second half. Captain Sophie de Goede’s fast hands gave Alysha Corrigan just enough room to kick, gather and score, cutting the gap to two points. Daleaka Menin powered over in the 64th minute, and replacement Shoshanah Seumanutafa dived in at the corner two minutes from time to put Canada ahead 24–21.

England pressed for a late reply, but Canada held its nerve. Taylor Perry kicked the ball into touch to seal the win, and the home side had its landmark result.

What it means

The match was the first time the Canadian women had played at home since finishing second at last year’s Rugby World Cup, and it formed part of the Rugby Rematch Tour. Canada had made clear it was chasing revenge for that World Cup defeat. Scrum-half Olivia Apps said in the build-up that the team had spent 2026 doing everything it could to make a win over England possible.

“Hearing the crowd get behind us was genuinely a turning point,” de Goede said afterwards. She praised the resilience the squad has shown “over and over again,” adding that it had to translate onto the field and that it did.

England had arrived as the benchmark of the women’s game, with the winning run stretching back years and including victories over most of the leading nations. The loss ends that sequence and hands the Red Roses a rare setback as they build toward the next World Cup cycle.

The match was part of the WXV Global Series, which also saw New Zealand beat an inexperienced France side and Australia defeat Scotland for the second time in two matches. For Canada, though, the headline was the upset of the world champions in front of a home crowd that had waited years for such a moment.

For England, the defeat is a notable moment for a side that has set the standard in the women’s game for years. The Red Roses came into the match as the top-ranked team in the world, and a loss to a side they had beaten consistently over the past decade will prompt reflection as they prepare for the return fixture.

The teams meet again on October 23 at TD Place in Ottawa, where England will try to level the two-match series. The fixture will be broadcast in Canada on TSN.

Sources

Reports from Rugby Canada, the BBC, the Canadian Press via CBC Sports and World Rugby (October 2026).