Saturday, September 27, 2025 (London, England) — Canada’s Women’s Rugby Team left everything on the field in Saturday’s Rugby World Cup Final, producing a courageous and spirited performance before falling 33–13 to top-seeded England in front of a record-setting crowd of 81,885 at Allianz Stadium.
While England lifted their third world title, Canada captured silver and earned something equally enduring: the admiration of Canadians from coast to coast, who rallied behind a team that brought women’s rugby into the national spotlight and inspired the next generation of players.
Canada stunned the partisan English crowd with a fast and fearless opening. After nearly breaking through in the second minute, winger Asia Hogan-Rochester finished off sharp lead-up work from Fabiola Forteza to score the game’s opening try in the fifth minute. Sophie de Goede’s conversion attempt rattled off the upright, but Canada led 5–0 and set the tone with their ambition and tempo.
A Solid Start
Top-ranked England responded quickly. Ellie Kildunne showed individual brilliance to slip through Canada’s defence for a try under the posts, before the Red Roses’ forward pack shifted into high gear. A pair of close-range tries through Amy Cokayne and Alex Matthews gave England a 21–5 advantage, but Canada refused to go away.
De Goede slotted a penalty goal in the 34th minute to steady the ship, and Canada’s defence — led by timely and impactful tackles form Karen Paquin and Caroline Crossley — denied the Red Roses further points late in the half. At the break, England held a 21–8 lead, but Canada were still in the fight.
Second-Half Resolve
Early in the second half, England extended their advantage when Abbie Ward powered over from in close. Yet Canada, true to their identity, struck back almost immediately.
With England reduced to 14 players following a yellow card to Hannah Botterman, Hogan-Rochester crossed again in the corner to give Canada life and cut the deficit to 26–13. Julia Schell nearly produced another score minutes later, only for England’s defence to hold firm.
As the final whistle approached, England’s pack tipped the balance, with Matthews adding her second try in the 69th minute. But the scoreline did little to reflect Canada’s enterprise, belief, and sheer determination across 80 minutes.
A Tournament to Remember
Canada’s run to the final — highlighted by a stunning semi-final victory over defending champions New Zealand — will go down as one of the proudest chapters in Canadian rugby history. The team outperformed the expectations of many, finishing the tournament with five wins, silver medals, and countless highlights and memories for generations to come.
Statistically, Canada showcased their attacking ambition on the biggest stage: they led England in metres carried (485 vs. 381), runs (176 vs. 91), offloads (13 vs. 4), passes (208 vs. 108) and rucks won (127 vs. 61). Hogan-Rochester was electric with two tries and nearly 100 metres gained, while de Goede once again led from the front with a match-high 17 carries.
Individual Honour for De Goede
Canada’s campaign was further recognized on the global stage after the final whistle, with captain Sophie de Goede named World Rugby Women’s Player of the Year.
De Goede’s consistency and influence were central to Canada’s run to the Rugby World Cup Final, where she earned Player of the Match honours twice, including a standout performance in the quarter-final win over Australia at Bristol’s Ashton Gate two weeks ago.
The award confirms De Goede’s status as one of the world’s premier players, underscoring the impact she has made in leading Canada to its best finish at a Rugby World Cup since 2014.
Post-Match Reflections
Captain Alex Tessier acknowledged England’s power but praised her side’s resilience:
“We just started the game a bit flat. We didn’t quite impose our rhythm. The connection didn’t go away at times. We didn’t panic, but we didn’t play our game, and I think that cost us the game in the long run. Hats off to our girls, I think they’ve done a tremendous job throughout the tournament. I’m very proud — we all believed we could do the job, and it just didn’t go our way today.”
Head Coach Kevin Rouet was frank in his assessment of the final:
“I think they were just better than us, and we didn’t score when we had to score, so it’s a tough time. When you’re playing against England, if you don’t score when you have to score, you can’t win the game.”
He also credited England’s performance on the day:
“They’re right on time. Their best performance of the tournament is today for them, at the final. It’s a good team, they’re well-drilled, and the better team won today.”
Looking ahead, Rouet emphasized Canada’s long-term ambition:
“I know sometimes people will forget, and we know we have to wait four years, so we are going to wait the four years and we are going to come back.”
The team also extends their gratitude to family, friends, and the many Canadian supporters who followed their journey — both in England and back home — with special thanks to Prime Minister Mark Carney for attending the final and showing his support for the game and the growth of rugby in Canada.
Beyond the Final Score
While Canada fell just short of their first-ever Rugby World Cup crown, their performances throughout the tournament — capped by their fearless display in the final — have lifted the profile of the sport at home.
This team not only matched the world’s best, they inspired Canadians of all ages with their commitment, unity, and belief. From grassroots fields to packed stadiums, women’s rugby in Canada has been changed forever.
CANADA SCORING SUMMARY
Tries: Asia Hogan-Rochester 2 (5′, 53’)
Penalty Goals: Sophie de Goede (34’)
CANADA’S RUGBY WORLD CUP FINALS MATCH DAY ROSTER VS ENGLAND
1. McKinley Hunt (King City, ON) – Aurora Barbarians / Saracens (37 caps)
2. Emily Tuttosi (Souris, MB) – Calgary Hornets / Exeter Chiefs (40 caps)
3. DaLeaka Menin (Vulcan, AB) – Calgary Hornets / Exeter Chiefs (68 caps)
4. Sophie de Goede (Victoria, BC) – Castaway Wanderers / Saracens (40 caps)
5. Courtney O’Donnell (Rimbey, AB) – Red Deer Titans Rugby (52 caps)
6. Caroline Crossley (Victoria, BC) – Castaway Wanderers (12 caps)
7. Karen Paquin (Quebec City, QC) – Club de rugby de Quebec (50 caps)
8. Fabiola Forteza (Quebec City, QC) – Club de rugby de Québec / Stade Bordelais (40 caps)
9. Justine Pelletier (Rivière-du-Loup, QC) – Club de rugby de Québec / Stade Bordelais (42 caps)
10. Taylor Perry (Oakville, ON) – Oakville Crusaders / Exeter Chiefs (22 caps)
11. Asia Hogan-Rochester (Toronto, ON) – Toronto Nomads / Westshore RFC (7 caps)
12. Alexandra Tessier (Sainte-Clotilde-de-Horton, QC) – Sainte-Anne-de-Bellevue RFC / Exeter Chiefs (65 caps)
13. Florence Symonds (Vancouver, BC) – University of British Columbia (17 caps)
14. Alysha Corrigan (Charlottetown, PEI) – CRFC / Saracens (25 caps)
15. Julia Schell (Uxbridge, ON) – Guelph Goats / Castaway Wanderers / Ealing Trailfinders (31 caps)
FINISHERS
16. Gillian Boag (Calgary, AB) – Capilano RFC (38 caps)
17. Brittany Kassil (Guelph, ON) – Guelph Goats (52 caps)
18. Olivia DeMerchant (Mapledale, NB) – Halifax Tars RFC (65 caps)
19. Tyson Beukeboom (Uxbridge, ON) – Cowichan Piggies / Aurora Barbarians / Ealing Trailfinders (83 caps)
20. Laetitia Royer (Loretteville, QC) – St-Anne-de-Bellevue / Concordia University / Saracens (21 caps)
21. Gabrielle Senft (Regina, SK) – Castaway Wanderers / Saracens (39 caps)
22. Olivia Apps (Lindsay, ON) – Lindsay RFC (24 caps)
23. Shoshanah Seumanutafa (White Rock, BC) – Counties Manukau (24 caps)
MISSION: WIN RUGBY WORLD CUP
The Mission: Win Rugby World Cup campaign was launched by Rugby Canada to close a $1 million dollar funding gap in sending the best-ever prepared Canadian team to a Rugby World Cup. Rugby Canada CEO met with Head Coach Kevin Rouet at the outset of the season and mapped an ideal training and preparation schedule. It totaled $3.6 million.
The union equally supports women’s and men’s teams, contributing $2.6 million – the highest Rugby Canada has supported a high performance team. Entering the Rugby World Cup semifinal at 95% to its $1 million fundraising goal, proceeds from the campaign directly support priorities of the team – pre-tournament training camps, warm-up matches, travel, nutrition, and daily operations of having the group together longer.
The Mission campaign continues to accept donations. Visit www.rugby.ca/en/donate for more information or LINK HERE for the donation page.
**Rugby Canada’s media team is at full capacity with overwhelming requests. We will respond as quickly as we can. In the meantime, and for post-event coverage, we encourage you to visit / register for the World Rugby Media Zone to retrieve press conference footage, photos, videos, and more resources to help your preparation and coverage:
Register here – https://www.world . rugby/media –zone /register
Canada’s Media Portal – https://www.world . rugby/ media – zone/rwc-2025/teams/can
The Women’s RWC 2025 Media Zone includes:
- official press releases
- team announcements
- player and coach quotes
- stats packs (.pdf)
- rights-free match photos (.jpg)
- daily digital packages (.mov)
- team media guides (.pdf)
- individual player storylines
Thank you for your support!
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About Rugby Canada
Rugby Canada is the national governing body of the sport of Rugby Union in Canada. They administer and operate Men’s and Women’s Senior and Junior National programs in both rugby 15s and 7s, as well as govern the Club and community game for more than 40,000 registered participants from coast to coast in conjunction with ten Provincial Union members.
Rugby Canada is headquartered at the Al Charron National Training Centre in Langford, BC, with staff also working from Vancouver, Winnipeg, Toronto and Ottawa. Rugby Canada business operations, programs and events are delivered nationwide, including the internationally recognized HSBC Vancouver Sevens annual tournaments.
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Media Contact
Braedan Willis
Manager, Communications
bwillis@rugby.ca
Bethany Wood
Director, Marketing & Communications
bwood@rugby.ca