England’s remarkable streak of 41 consecutive unbeaten games came to an end when they were defeated by Canada 24-21 in front of the largest crowd ever seen in North American women’s rugby in Toronto on Friday.
Canada struggled to contain England’s dominance in the scrum, falling behind 14-5 at halftime and 21-12 over an hour into the match before sealing a dramatic victory with a late try by Shoshanah Seumanutafa in the 78th minute.
Reflecting on the hard-fought win, Canada’s captain Sophie de Goede noted, “We really had to grind it out and find a way. That’s kind of the DNA of our team.”
This defeat marked England’s first loss since the 2022 Women’s Rugby World Cup final, ending their impressive run of 72 matches with just one previous defeat dating back to 2019.
The match drew a record attendance of 18,621 spectators, surpassing the previous highest turnout for a standalone women’s rugby game in North America. Despite England’s early missed scoring opportunity, Canada capitalized on a yellow card to Zoe Harrison, allowing them to score a crucial try in a three-on-one situation.
Although England fought back with tries by Maddie Feaunati and Harrison, Canada closed the gap to 14-12 in the second half through a well-executed play by Alysha Corrigan. The match remained tense as both teams exchanged scoring opportunities, with Canada ultimately securing the win with a decisive try by Seumanutafa late in the game.
The two teams are set for a rematch in Ottawa next Friday as the rivalry intensifies.
