Canada Defeat Fiji 65-7: Julia Schell Scores Six Tries
Julia Schell scored 6 tries over 22 minutes in the second half for a record breaking performance by the fullback. She led in points 30, metres made 116, successful offloads 4, line breaks 9. The forwards had put in the hard yards in the first 40 and the game was won by halftime, 24-0, with the first 3 tries by forwards de Goede, Boag and Crossley. Courtney O’Donnell, second row, was top tackler with 14. Canada had 65% of the territory and played the game in the right part of the park.
Canada lead Pool B with 5 points and a +58 point differential. Scotland are second, also 5 points and +30 with a big win over Wales. Canada play Wales next, that match takes place 4am PT next Saturday, August 30th. Other winners in the first round, England, Australia, France. There are 3 matches on Sunday.
from Rugby Canada
Canada’s women’s rugby team opened their 2025 Rugby World Cup campaign in emphatic fashion on Saturday, running in 11 tries to topple Fiji 65–7 at York Community Stadium.
It was a night to remember for fullback Julia Schell, who etched her name into the record books with six second-half tries — the most by a Canadian in a Rugby World Cup match — as the second-ranked Canadians began their Pool B schedule with maximum points.
Dominant First Half
Canada asserted themselves early, controlling possession and territory. A powerful scrum and precise set piece work set the tone, with Sophie de Goede scoring the opening try in the 6th minute and converting for a 7–0 lead.
Hooker Gillian Boag followed with a driving maul finish in the 14th minute, and despite losing flyhalf Taylor Perry to a yellow card, Canada extended their lead through flanker Caroline Crossley, who marked her World Cup debut with a try while the team was down a player.
By the 29th minute, winger Alysha Corrigan had secured the bonus point, finishing off a flowing move sparked by captain Alex Tessier. Fiji’s best chance of the half came from a lineout inside Canada’s 22, but de Goede stole the throw to keep the Pacific Islanders scoreless.
At the break, Canada led 24–0, with four different try-scorers and de Goede adding two conversions.
Schell Explodes for a Double Hat-Trick
Fiji struck first in the second half, briefly cutting the margin to 24–7 through substitute Kolora Lomani, but from there it was one-way traffic.
Schell crossed for her first try in the 50th minute and added five more between the 52nd and 72nd minutes, finishing opportunities created by Canada’s sharp handling and relentless forward platform. The 26-year-old entered the game with just three career test tries across her 26 appearances in red and white; she leaves York with her tally boosted to nine.
Veteran Karen Paquin – one of three Canadians on the squad set to appear in a fourth World Cup – capped the scoring with a try in the 77th minute, while de Goede (four conversions) and Tessier (one) added points from the tee.
Post-Match Reaction
Julia Schell (Mastercard Player of the Match)
“At halftime, Kevin challenged us to win our one-on-ones. I just wanted to get out there and do that – for myself and for the team. I know if I’m in the right place at the right time, the tries will come, but our focus was always on the team’s performance.”
“Fiji is so fast and physical, and they love to play an offload game and play on the edge. We never wanted to rule them out, because we knew that at any moment they could come out flying, which they did right after halftime. That was our mindset going along – just keep pushing, keep pushing, keep pushing – because we knew they were going to do the same.”
Alex Tessier (Captain)
“It’s a very good win for us. We remained in control. Our key point today was to retain the ball and be clinical in our attack, and I think that’s what we did. We were playing composed throughout the game and we managed to put a lot of points on the board, which is really satisfying.”
“The way we started the game, I think we got a little bit too excited. Our ball retention will be key [in the next game] and cleaning up the offloads in our game. We need to remain disciplined on defence. We got penalized too many times, especially in the first half – that’s something to focus on next week.”
“We’re keeping it one game at a time, keeping our composure and building from game to game. We’re switching our mindset to Wales.”
Kevin Rouet (Head Coach)
“It’s good to start with confidence. We know there’s still room to improve, especially as this group adjusts to being ranked No. 2 in the world. It’s about building belief and showing we can deliver.”
“We have a team where anyone can score, but this was the first time we’ve seen one player score so many tries, and you could see it on the field and on the bench – everyone was thrilled for Julia.”
By The Numbers
11 tries by seven different players, including Schell’s record six
Attacking prowess: 527 metres carried (vs. Fiji’s 224m), 119 carries (vs. 66), 22 defenders beaten (vs. 10), and 18 offloads (vs. 4)
Perfect set piece: 100% success on own scrums (5/5) and lineouts (8/8)
Defensive steel: 82% tackle completion, conceding just one try
CANADA SCORING SUMMARY
Tries: Sophie de Goede (6′), Gillian Boag (14′), Caroline Crossley (22′), Alysha Corrigan (29′), Julia Schell 6 (50′, 52’, 54’, 61′, 69′, 72’), Karen Paquin (77’)
Conversions: Sophie de Goede (4), Alex Tessier (1)
2025 WOMEN’S RUGBY WORLD CUP
At the Rugby World Cup in England, Canada will compete in Pool B alongside Scotland, Wales and Fiji. Their second game of pool play will be against Wales at the Salford Community Stadium in Manchester, England on Saturday, August 30 at 4:00am PT / 7:00am ET (12:00pm local time). Click here for the full Pool B schedule.
Earlier this week it was revealed the Women’s Rugby World Cup final at Twickenham next month is sold out with 82,000 fans, making it the most attended women’s rugby union match ever. Over 375,000 tickets have been sold across all matches so far — three times more than the 2021 World Cup in New Zealand.
CANADA’S WOMEN’S RUGBY TEAM MATCH DAY ROSTER VS FIJI
1. Brittany Kassil (Guelph, ON) – Guelph Goats (47 caps)
2. Gillian Boag (Calgary, AB) – Capilano RFC (33 caps)
3. DaLeaka Menin (Vulcan, AB) – Calgary Hornets / Exeter Chiefs (63 caps)
4. Sophie de Goede (Victoria, BC) – Castaway Wanderers / Saracens (35 caps)
5. Courtney O’Donnell (Rimbey, AB) – Red Deer Titans Rugby (47 caps)
6. Caroline Crossley (Victoria, BC) – Castaway Wanderers (7 caps)
7. Fabiola Forteza (Quebec City, QC) – Club de rugby de Québec / Stade Bordelais (35 caps)
8. Gabrielle Senft (Regina, SK) – Castaway Wanderers / Saracens (34 caps)
9. Justine Pelletier (Rivière-du-Loup, QC) – Club de rugby de Québec / Stade Bordelais (37 caps)
10. Taylor Perry (Oakville, ON) – Oakville Crusaders / Exeter Chiefs (17 caps)
11. Fancy Bermudez (Edmonton, AB) – Nor’Westers Athletic Association / Westshore RFC / Saracens (18 caps)
12. Alexandra Tessier (Sainte-Clotilde-de-Horton, QC) – Sainte-Anne-de-Bellevue RFC / Exeter Chiefs (60 caps)
13. Florence Symonds (Vancouver, BC) – University of British Columbia (12 caps)
14. Alysha Corrigan (Charlottetown, PEI) – CRFC / Saracens (21 caps)
15. Julia Schell (Uxbridge, ON) – Guelph Goats / Castaway Wanderers / Ealing Trailfinders (26 caps)
FINISHERS
16. Emily Tuttosi (Souris, MB) – Calgary Hornets / Exeter Chiefs (35 caps)
17. McKinley Hunt (King City, ON) – Aurora Barbarians / Saracens (32 caps)
18. Maya Montiel (Dieppe, NB) – Saracens
19. Tyson Beukeboom (Uxbridge, ON) – Cowichan Piggies / Aurora Barbarians / Ealing Trailfinders (78 caps)
20. Karen Paquin (Quebec City, QC) – Club de rugby de Quebec (45 caps)
21. Rachel Smith (South Surrey, BC) – University of British Columbia (3 caps)
22. Olivia Apps (Lindsay, ON) – Lindsay RFC (19 caps)
23. Shoshanah Seumanutafa (White Rock, BC) – Counties Manukau (19 caps)
Canada Name Roster to Kick Off Opening World Cup Match Against Fiji on Saturday
There are a number of changes from the squad that defeated Ireland in Canada’s last match. Gillian Boag is the only front row player to retain her starting role, there’s a rotation of the props with Kassil and DeMerchant starting and Hunt and Menin going to the reserves. Emily Tuttosi remains as reserve hooker. Sophie de Goede remains at second row with Courtney O’Donnell replacing Tyson Beukeboom in the starting rotation, Beukeboom going to the reserves. Crossley and Forteza retain their starting status in the loose forwards with Gabrielle Senft getting the start at #8, Karen Paquin goes to the reserves.
Justine Pelletier remains first choice scrum half with Olivia Apps in a backup role. A change at #10 with Taylor Perry replacing Claire Gallagher. There’s no cover for #10 with Canada choosing a 6/2 split on the bench with only centre Shoshanah Seumanutafa in the reserves. The centre pairing of Tessier and Symonds remains the same from last match. Paige Farries is replaced on the wing by Fancy Bermudez, Alysha Corrigan retains her spot on the other wing. Julia Schell remains the first choice fullback.
Canada signalling its intention of a strong forward performance with a 6/2 split on the bench, the coach has shown confidence in the backline players ability to cover multiple positions, in the USA match scrum half Olivia Apps moved to the wing for the last 30 minutes of the game.
Canada Roster vs Fiji
1. Brittany Kassil (Guelph, ON) – Guelph Goats (47 caps)
2. Gillian Boag (Calgary, AB) – Capilano RFC (33 caps)
3. Olivia DeMerchant (Mapledale, NB) – Halifax Tars RFC (61 caps)
4. Sophie de Goede (Victoria, BC) – Castaway Wanderers / Saracens (35 caps)
5. Courtney O’Donnell (Rimbey, AB) – Red Deer Titans Rugby (47 caps)
6. Caroline Crossley (Victoria, BC) – Castaway Wanderers (7 caps)
7. Fabiola Forteza (Quebec City, QC) – Club de rugby de Québec / Stade Bordelais (35 caps)
8. Gabrielle Senft (Regina, SK) – Castaway Wanderers / Saracens (34 caps)
9. Justine Pelletier (Rivière-du-Loup, QC) – Club de rugby de Québec / Stade Bordelais (37 caps)
10. Taylor Perry (Oakville, ON) – Oakville Crusaders / Exeter Chiefs (17 caps)
11. Fancy Bermudez (Edmonton, AB) – Nor’Westers Athletic Association / Westshore RFC / Saracens (18 caps)
12. Alexandra Tessier (Sainte-Clotilde-de-Horton, QC) – Sainte-Anne-de-Bellevue RFC / Exeter Chiefs (60 caps)
13. Florence Symonds (Vancouver, BC) – University of British Columbia (12 caps)
14. Alysha Corrigan (Charlottetown, PEI) – CRFC / Saracens (21 caps)
15. Julia Schell (Uxbridge, ON) – Guelph Goats / Castaway Wanderers / Ealing Trailfinders (26 caps)
FINISHERS
16. Emily Tuttosi (Souris, MB) – Calgary Hornets / Exeter Chiefs (35 caps)
17. McKinley Hunt (King City, ON) – Aurora Barbarians / Saracens (32 caps)
18. DaLeaka Menin (Vulcan, AB) – Calgary Hornets / Exeter Chiefs (63 caps)
19. Tyson Beukeboom (Uxbridge, ON) – Cowichan Piggies / Aurora Barbarians / Ealing Trailfinders (78 caps)
20. Karen Paquin (Quebec City, QC) – Club de rugby de Quebec (45 caps)
21. Rachel Smith (South Surrey, BC) – University of British Columbia (3 caps)
22. Olivia Apps (Lindsay, ON) – Lindsay RFC (19 caps)
23. Shoshanah Seumanutafa (White Rock, BC) – Counties Manukau (19 caps)
from Rugby Canada
The match day roster for Canada’s Women’s Rugby Team has been selected by Head Coach Kevin Rouet for the opening game of the 2025 Women’s Rugby World Cup in England.
Canada will face Fiji on Saturday, August 23 at 5:30 p.m. local time (9:30 a.m. PST / 12:30 p.m. EST) at York Community Stadium in York, England. The game will be broadcast live on TSN and TSN+.
“The team has put in a lot of work to get to this point,” said Rouet. “We have been building really since the last World Cup so we are very excited to get going here in England. Fiji will be a fun team to play against. They are unpredictable so they will test us on the pitch but it’s on us to showcase our style of play and display why we are one of the best teams in the world.”
Taylor Perry has been selected to start at fly-half to kick off the tournament. Perry was due to wear the number ten jersey for the opening game of the last Rugby World Cup but was ruled out of the entire competition due to an injury suffered on the eve of the first game.
Included among the finishers on the match day roster is Rachel Smith of the UBC Thunderbirds, who earned her first cap for Canada in May against the USA and is now in line to make her Rugby World Cup debut.
Canada will begin the Rugby World Cup with an average of 29 caps per player. Leading the squad is Tyson Beukeboom, the most-capped player in Canadian women’s rugby history, with 78 appearances.
WHERE TO WATCH
Canada’s Rugby World Cup against Fiji on August 23 will kick off at 5:30pm local time (9:30am PST / 12:30pm EST) and will be available on TSN1, TSN5 and TSN+. All of Canada’s games at the Rugby World Cup will be broadcast live, along with bonus coverage of select non-Canada matches throughout the tournament.
2025 WOMEN’S RUGBY WORLD CUP
At the Rugby World Cup in England, Canada will compete in Pool B alongside Scotland, Wales and Fiji. Their second game of pool play will be against Wales at the Salford Community Stadium in Manchester, England on Saturday, August 30 at 4:00am PT / 7:00am ET (12:00pm local time). Click here for the full Pool B schedule.
Earlier this week it was revealed the Women’s Rugby World Cup final at Twickenham next month is sold out with 82,000 fans, making it the most attended women’s rugby union match ever. Over 375,000 tickets have been sold across all matches so far — three times more than the 2021 World Cup in New Zealand.