Canada v England – RWC 2025

Canada Win Silver at World Cup: Asia Hogan-Rochester Scores 2 Tries; Sophie de Goede World Rugby Player of the Year

Canada’s quick ruck style of play that got them to the final relies on winning the contact area and producing go forward ball, the England defence didn’t allow that and England dictated the style and pace of the match. Canada had won 100% of their scrums going into the match, England pushed the first Canada scrum backwards and sent a message that it would be power over speed on the day. Asia Hogan-Rochester scored both Canada tries and put Canada in the lead early on but England hit back minutes later on a missed tackle and a long range try. Canada would need the perfect game to end England’s winning streak and with the missed tackles and handling errors it wouldn’t be their day.

Still defeating the Black Ferns, winning Silver and bringing a nation to its feet to take notice of rugby was a big accomplishment. Even the Prime Minister, Mark Carney, was in attendance. It was an impressive result for a nation that usually defines its sporting success on the ice in hockey.

Canadian Sophie de Goede was awarded the 2025 Women’s Rugby Player of the Year, making her the second Canadian to win it since Magali Harvey in 2014. The Canadian Press match report is posted below as well as some post-match photos.

Tries: Asia Hogan-Rochester (5′, 53′)

Penalty Kicks: Sophie de Goede (34′)

Canadian Press

England finally has a Women’s Rugby World Cup title to confirm its world domination after outclassing Canada 33-13 in front of a record crowd in Twickenham, London on Saturday.

Victory by five tries to three capped an astonishing World Cup cycle in which England won every match, 33 in a row, the greatest streak in international rugby.

England had lost the last two finals, and five of the last six.

But this final at Allianz Stadium, drawing 81,885 people, the largest crowd in women’s rugby history, was a showcase of England’s power and pace and gave the tournament host its third World Cup title after triumphs in 1994 and 2014.

“The past certainly dictates the now and the girls hung tough in the whole tournament and connected with the nation,” England coach John Mitchell said. “I thought we were superb defensively in the tournament; our attack didn’t need to be at its best but it was effective enough to get the job done.”

33-13 was the final score Saturday at the Women’s Rugby World Cup final as England defeated Canada in London.
Canada bossed everyone, including defending champion New Zealand in the semifinals, en route to its first final in 11 years, validating its No. 2 ranking and unbeaten run this year.

Canada sought its first title after also falling to England in the 2014 championship game.

But the best offloading team in the tournament couldn’t get its game going, crashing into England’s defence.

“We smashed it out there today and I can’t thank the girls enough for putting their bodies on the line,” England captain Zoe Aldcroft said.

England saved its best performance for its most important match since the 2022 World Cup final, when it last tasted defeat. In fact, that loss to New Zealand by 34-31 is England’s only loss in six years.

England set the tone for the final at the first scrum, shoving Canada backward. The English outmuscled Canada all afternoon.

And yet, as it has in every game, Canada scored first, glitter-faced right wing Hogan-Rochester from a two-on-one.

The lead lasted only three minutes. Fullback Ellie Kildunne, out of nothing, broke a tackle, stepped a couple more and scorched the cover to score behind the posts.

Canada tried running from its own try-line, knocked on in its half, and England turned it into pressure and another lineout drive try for hooker Amy Cokayne, who scored three similar tries in the 2022 final.

An intercept on halfway by Tatyana Heard was the origin of England’s next try, by No. 8 Alex Matthews, playing in her fourth straight final.

Canada had to score next and laid siege to England’s try-line, but the ball was poached by England captain Zoe Aldcroft. An admission to its struggle to break England’s lines was Canada’s decision to kick a penalty while 21-5 down.

That conceded ground from the kickoff to England, which earned a penalty and set up another lineout drive. But a second try for Cokayne was chalked off because of obstruction. Still, England finished the half on top when prop Hannah Botterman got her second jackal penalty and roared in delight.

The second half was more of the same. Lock Abbie Ward scored after a Matthews burst from a five-meter scrum.

Hogan-Rochester got her second try for Canada while Botterman was in the sin-bin, but a second period of sustained pressure by Canada died from a knock-on in front of the England posts, making Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney put his head in his hands.

England put the finishing touches on a powerful win when a spiral bomb spun back into their hands and Matthews ended up scoring her second try.

Post Match Photos

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Canada Name Roster for RWC Final Against England

This is shaping up to be the most significant rugby event of our time in terms of public awareness in Canada. It’s common to see rugby clubs holding public viewings to support the national team but we’re seeing small municipalities holding these public viewing parties, that’s next level. They’re also projecting a 82,000 attendance figure for the match, a new record for women’s rugby.

The Canadian women go in as underdogs, as they did against NZ but for Canadian supporters there is no doubt they can get the job done.

There’s no change to the squad from the NZ and Australia matches. If you’re winning and no one is injured why make changes? Kickoff is 8am PT and is shown on TSN.

We’ll update this story with links to news stories previewing the match and players.

Canadian scrum half Justine Pelletier a key to Canada’s success at Rugby World Cup
Confident Canada aim to ‘burst’ England aura in Women’s Rugby World Cup final
Langford to London: Canada got to Women’s Rugby World Cup final the hard way

Canada Roster

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)
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)

from Rugby Canada

For the second time in history, Canada’s Women’s Rugby Team will compete in the Women’s Rugby World Cup Final. Head coach Kevin Rouet has named the match-day roster set to take on England for rugby’s biggest prize this Saturday, September 27, at 8:00 a.m. PST / 11:00 a.m. EST (4:00 p.m. local time) at Allianz Stadium in London.

The final will be played in front of a sold-out crowd of 82,000 — the largest audience in women’s rugby history.

“The focus remains on ourselves this week, nothing changes in how we prepare from the last game,” said Rouet. “Of course, we are happy to have made it to the World Cup finals but there is still a job to be done, and I believe in all the players and staff we have here that we will be ready to go for Saturday.”

Rouet has opted for an unchanged lineup following Canada’s semi-final performance, where the team defeated reigning World Cup champions, the New Zealand Black Ferns, by a score of 34–19.

Rouet added: “Every week the coaches are faced with such a hard decision as we believe that all 32 players we have in the squad are amazing rugby players and have a positive impact on the game. We decided to be consistent after a performance we were really happy with against New Zealand, but it will take all the players we have with us to help us win a World Cup.”

Canada scored five tries in that semi-final match, courtesy of Justine Pelletier (named Mastercard Player of the Match), Asia Hogan-Rochester, Florence Symonds, Sophie de Goede, and Alex Tessier. The team also delivered a flawless performance around the breakdown, in the scrum and won 14 out of their 15 total lineouts.

The last time Canada and England met was in the WXV 1 finale last year in Vancouver, British Columbia. Canada struck early through Justine Pelletier and held a 12–7 lead going into the second half following a converted try by Alex Tessier. However, England responded with two late tries to secure a 21–12 victory and claim the WXV 1 title.

WHERE TO WATCH
Coverage of the final between Canada and England will be available on TSN1 and TSN4, with exciting additional coverage just announced on CTV2. Canadians can tune in for an extended one-hour pre-game show starting at 10:00AM EST / 7:00AM PST with kickoff at 11:00AM EST / 8:00AM PST.