Canada Lose to England 50-24 in Game One of Tour: Match Video
[ed. match video is here https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I_s3IbTdRpI
from England Rugby
Red Roses: Tries – Rowland (2), Packer, Carson, Kildunne (2), L. Packer, Allen. Cons – Rowland (5)
Canada: Tries – Pelletier, Beukeboom, Tuttosi, Grant. Cons – de Goede (2)
England scored eight tries in Exeter, Helena Rowland and Ellie Kildunne scoring two apiece while Marlie Packer, Mackenzie Carson, Lucy Packer and Maisy Allen also went over. Justine Pelletier, Tyson Beukeboom, Emily Tuttosi and Madison Grant crossed for the visitors, who will face England again next Saturday at StoneX Stadium.
It took England just two minutes to cross the whitewash as Rowland finished off an inventive move from the hosts. Holly Aitchison produced a precise cross-field kick that was gathered by Kildunne, who in turn found Abby Dow. She selflessly popped the ball up to Rowland to dot down before converting her own try.
Captain Packer extended the Red Roses’ lead as she grounded the ball from a trademark rolling maul before Rowland struck the right post with the conversion. Canada hit back through Pelletier, who dummied round the England defence to get the visitors on the board with Sophie de Goede converting.
Against her former side, Carson got England’s third, showing the carrying skills of the forward pack as she powered over having received the ball from her front-row partner Sarah Bern. Beukeboom responded again for Canada as the game at Sandy Park showed little signs of slowing down.
With 24 minutes gone, England had their fourth try as Kildunne earned a deserved score. The full back had been weaving her way around the Canada defence throughout and this time her silky footwork saw her round three defenders and dot down, leaving a routine conversion as England stretched their lead to 12 points.
Their advantage at half-time reached 19 points as Lucy Packer copied her opposite number Pelletier, putting in a dummy pass to open a gap in the defence and sliding through for the final score of the half.
Louis Deacon rang the changes for the Red Roses in the second half with replacement Connie Powell coming on and carrying England forward. She set up Kildunne, who got her second with more impressive movement before stretching to dot down on her way to the Player of the Match award.
England’s lead was reduced back to 19 points as Tuttosi and Grant dotted down before Maisy Allen came on for her first senior cap at the stadium where she plays her club rugby.
One of her Exeter Chiefs teammates created a moment of magic shortly afterwards, Claudia MacDonald just keeping herself on the right side of the touchline before passing to Rowland for her second try of the afternoon.
MacDonald was soon set away again down the right wing but was denied a score by Magali Harvey on her first appearance for five years.
Allen had the final word with a try on debut, powering over from a maul to see England reach their half century much to the delight of the 9,603 fans at Sandy Park.
Roster Named for Saturday’s Showdown Between Canada’s Women’s Rugby Team and England
from Rugby Canada
Head Coach Kevin Rouet has named the match day roster for the first of two matches between Canada’s Women’s Rugby Team and England, set for Saturday September 23 at Sandy Park in Exeter.
With one month remaining until the inaugural WXV tournament in New Zealand, Canada will kick off against the Red Roses at 6:30 a.m. PT / 9:30 a.m. ET (2:30 p.m. local time) at the home of the Exeter Chiefs, the Premier 15s team that boasts the likes of Emily Tuttosi, DaLeaka Menin and Alexandra Tessier.
Looking for their first ever win against England in England, Canada’s Women’s Rugby Team’s match day roster includes 16 players who were also named to take on England at the Rugby World Cup last fall and 20 who competed at the Pacific Four Series in Ottawa in July.
Tessier will start for Canada’s Women’s Rugby Team for the first time since April following recovery from injury. Also back after extended injury recovery is Taylor Perry, who suffered a knee injury in training ahead of Canada’s first Rugby World Cup match last October.
Another experienced player could make her return to action with Canada’s Women’s Rugby Team off the bench. Magali Harvey, a 2014 Rugby World Cup silver medallist and 2014 Women’s Rugby Player of the Year, last played for Canada in 2018.
Three players who earned their first caps for Canada this July in Ottawa against New Zealand have also been named to Canada’s match day roster. Florence Symonds and Claire Gallagher are in the starting 15, with Olivia Apps on the bench. Symonds and Apps both helped Canada qualify for the Paris 2024 Olympics in August, while Gallagher followed up the Pacific Four Series with dominating performances against the USA with Canada’s U23 Women’s Rugby Team.
“Our team reconvened in Exeter over the weekend for the first time since July, and preparations for this first test match against England have gone well,” said Kevin Rouet. “We know the task at hand and the importance of these matches in the team’s journey towards the 2025 Rugby World Cup. It is exciting to see the return of some experienced players, as well as newer players to the program earning an opportunity to play in a match such as this.”
This match will mark two years since Canada’s Women’s Rugby Team’s last test match in England, as well as the twelfth time that Canada’s Women’s Rugby Team has played the Red Roses in England. England has taken the win in the last eight meetings between these two teams, with Canada having last won over England in 2016 in Salt Lake City.
Following this tour, Canada’s Women’s Rugby Team heads to New Zealand for WXV, where they will face England once again, along with Wales and France.
Returning this weekend is the NFP Forward & Back Game Changers contest. Fans will have the opportunity to vote virtually for the players (one forward and one back) who they think were changers for Canada’s Women’s Rugby Team against England, with a chance to win a $100 Amazon gift card and a signed jersey. Details on how to participate will be announced on Rugby Canada’s social media channels.
WHERE TO WATCH
The match will be made available for viewing. Broadcast details will be confirmed and released prior to match day.
Tickets are on sale on the England Rugby website.
CANADA’S WOMEN’S RUGBY TEAM MATCH DAY ROSTER vs ENGLAND
1. McKinley Hunt (King City, ON) – Aurora Barbarians / Saracens
2. Emily Tuttosi (Souris, MB) – Calgary Hornets / Exeter Chiefs
3. DaLeaka Menin (Vulcan, AB) – Exeter Chiefs
4. Tyson Beukeboom (Uxbridge, ON) – Cowichan RFC / Ealing Trailfinders
5. Courtney Holtkamp (Rimbey, AB) – Red Deer Titans Rugby
6. Gabrielle Senft (Regina, SK) – Castaway Wanderers
7. Fabiola Forteza (Quebec City, QC) – Club de rugby de Québec / Stade Bordelais
8. Sophie de Goede (Victoria, BC) – Castaway Wanderers RFC / Saracens
9. Justine Pelletier (Rivière-du-Loup, QC) – Club de rugby de Québec / Stade Bordelais
10. Claire Gallagher (Caledon, ON) – Aurora Barbarians / University of Ottawa
11. Florence Symonds (Hong Kong) – University of British Columbia
12. Madison Grant (Cornwall, ON) – Cornwall Claymores
13. Fancy Bermudez (Edmonton, AB) – NorWester Athletic Associations / Westshore RFC
14. Paige Farries (Red Deer, AB) – Westshore RFC / Worcester Warriors
15. Alexandra Tessier (Sainte-Clotilde-de-Horton, QC) – Sainte-Anne-de-Bellevue RFC / Exeter Chiefs
FINISHERS
16. Gillian Boag (Calgary, AB) – Capilano RFC
17. Olivia DeMerchant (Mapledale, NB) – Halifax Tars RFC
18. Alexandria Ellis (Ottawa, ON) – Barrhaven Scottish / Saracens
19. Laetitia Royer (Loretteville, QC) – St-Anne-de-Bellevue / ASM Romagnat
20. Sara Svoboda (Belleville, ON) – Brantford Harlequins / Belleville Bulldogs / Loughborough Lightning
21. Olivia Apps (Lindsay, ON) – Lindsay RFC
22. Taylor Perry (Oakville, ON) – Oakville Crusaders
23. Magali Harvey (Quebec City, QC) – Club de rugby de Québec / Queen’s University / Stade Bordelais