Canada Drop Match Against #4 France 21-5: Full Match Video
Was it the absence of Sophie de Goede or the let down after drawing with #1 England, either way Canada came out flat and were outplayed by France. The last time Canada were held to five points or less was in 2022, again by France when they blanked Canada 36-0 at the World Cup. They missed the leadership of Sophie de Goede, that was evident in subtle ways, when they had the momentum and France pinned in their 5 metres with a lineout, Canada didn’t put any jumpers up, no pressure at all. The forwards, usually Canada’s winning advantage, looked disconnected. The backline, never Canada’s strong point, struggled to make any impact.
Canada scored one try, by #8 Lizzie Gibson, who has been solid on this tour. Olivia Apps, who started at scrum half, then moved to the centres was the top back for Canada. Canada play at home next against England. Also congrats to former Canada coach, Francois Ratier, now France coach who had his team playing at top level. Full match video link below, plus World Rugby and Canadian Press reports.
Full Match Video
from World Rugby
Emilie Boulard scored once in each half in a much-improved and more disciplined France performance at Stade Marcel Deflandre as they beat the number three side in the world to claim their second win in as many weeks in the WXV Global Series.
Full-back Boulard opened the scoring in the 23rd-minute, sweeping in to complete a scintillating, high-pace, multi-phase move and reward Les Bleues’ early control.
But it was their defence rather than their attack that impressed most, as they held last year’s Women’s Rugby World Cup 2025 finalists at arms’ length for most of the match – backrow Mouna Toure, in particular, was a menace in the lineout stealing throw after Canadian throw, while French defenders repeatedly won turnovers
Coach Francois Ratier will be concerned at their clinical inability with ball in hand, particularly as they failed to make the most of a first-half numerical advantage, after Charity Williams was sin-binned following a series of Canadian infringements.
In fact, five minutes later after Williams’ card, the visitors’ backrow Fabiola Forteza had the ball in her hands as a powerful maul crashed over the French line to reduce the arrears to two points.
Boulard’s second – following another lengthy attacking sequence – came 10 minutes into the second-half. A blind behind-the-back pass from captain Pauline Bourdon Sansus opened the smallest of gaps and the full-back was never going to waste such a chance.
Moments later, she turned defensive star, holding up replacement Justine Pelletier over the line to deny Canada a comeback try.
Neither side could then make the most with ball in hand, until Alexandra Chambon went the long way around the back of a 5m scrum to score the match-deciding try a minute from time.
from Canadian Press
The Canadian women’s rugby team fell 21-5 to host France on Saturday in La Rochelle.
Lizzie Gibson of Caledon, Ont., scored the lone try for Canada, which trailed 7-5 at the half.
Canada’s women rank third in the world ahead of France, at fourth, by World Rugby. Emilie Boulard scored in each half for France, whose defence led by backrow Mouna Toure limited Canada’s output.
Asia Hogan-Rochester, who helped Canada to silver at the 2025 World Cup and sevens silver in the 2024 Olympic Games, was ruled out of the match after an unspecified injury suffered during training.
Veteran Sophie de Goede, who was named World Rugby Women’s fifteens player of the year in 2025, also didn’t play Saturday as coaches rested her ahead of two upcoming matches against England in Canada.
The Canadian women will host England on Oct. 16 in Toronto and Oct. 23 in Ottawa. Canada and England tied 26-26 on Sept. 19 in Exeter, England, in a rematch of the World Cup final.
Rouet Names Match 23 for France: Sophie de Goede Rested; Alex Tessier Captains Team
Canada finish off their September WXV matches on Saturday when they travel to La Rochelle, France. France narrowly defeated Australia last weekend 29-26 but went off the rails early with two red cards and 2 yellow cards in the first 20 minutes. Both red cards included match suspensions so they’ll be missing two of their starting tight five for the Canada match. Canada have decided to rest Sophie de Goede for the match with the two England matches coming up next month. Alex Tessier will captain the team this week.
With de Goede missing, Rachel Smith moves from blindside flanker to second row, Fabiola Forteza moves from the bench to blindside flanker. In the backs Savannah Bauder gets her first start at fullback. On the bench Taylor McKnight gets the nod as reserve hooker and Aurora Bowie as reserve wing. One unusual note on the bench, Claire Gallagher is listed as #20, a number usually reserved for a loose forward, at first glance it looks like a 6/2 bench but with Gallagher on there it looks like a 5/3. Is Rouet experimenting or is it just a mundane issue of jersey size?
from Rugby Canada
Kevin Rouet, Head Coach of Canada’s Women’s Rugby Team, has selected the 23-player roster that will take on France this Saturday September 26 at Stade Marcel-Deflandre in La Rochelle, France. The game will be broadcast live on TSN5 and the TSN app, starting at 8:45 a.m. PT / 11:45 a.m. ET.
Saturday’s match is the final stop of the European tour for Canadian women this fall, with their next two games being played at home in Toronto and Ottawa this October against the reigning World Cup champions from England. The matches will mark the first time the team plays on home soil since placing second at last year’s Rugby World Cup. The Rugby Rematch Tour, presented by Canadian Tire, will see Canada face the Red Roses on October 16 at BMO Field in Toronto and October 23 at TD Place in Ottawa. Tickets are available HERE.
“After a short preparation time coming into these games in Europe, I am really happy with how much the team has grown and connected after just two games,” said Rouet. “This weekend’s game against France will be a new challenge and another opportunity to continue to fine tune parts of our game to make sure we are at our best for our next two games that will be on home soil in Toronto and Ottawa.”
DaLeaka Menin, last week’s player of the match in Canada’s game against England and the WXV Global Series Player of the Week, will start at prop and is in line to earn her 75th cap for Canada, the second most all-time for the Canadian women’s team.
Rouet’s squad has five changes from last week’s roster that drew 26-26 with England, a result that ended the Red Roses’ 39-game winning streak.
Sophie de Goede will not play this weekend against France, with the coaching staff making the decision to rest certain players ahead of their two tests in October.
Savannah Bauder will start at fullback for the first time after earning her first cap against Scotland a few weeks ago. Taylor McKnight replaces Gillian Boag as the reserve hooker, while Aurora Bowie, who played in all three games for Canada earlier this year in the Pacific Four Series, could see her first action of the WXV Global Series as an option off the bench, wearing jersey number 23.
WHERE TO WATCH
Coverage of Canada’s WXV Global Series match against France will be available on TSN and the TSN app starting at 8:45am PT / 11:45am ET.
CANADA’S WOMEN’S RUGBY TEAM MATCH DAY ROSTER VS FRANCE
1. Mikiela Nelson (Vancouver, BC) – Capilano RFC (13 caps)
2. Kiki Idowu (Toronto, ON) – Loughborough Lightning / UBC Thunderbirds / Toronto Scottish (5 caps)
3. DaLeaka Menin (Vulcan, AB) – Exeter Chiefs / Calgary Hornets (74 caps)
4. Rachel Smith (South Surrey, BC) – Loughborough Lightning / UBC Thunderbirds (9 caps)
5. Laetitia Royer (Loretteville, QC) – St-Anne-de-Bellevue / Concordia University (27 caps)
6. Fabiola Forteza (Quebec City, QC) – Stade Bordelais / Club de rugby de Québec (44 caps)
7. Julia Omokhuale (Calgary, AB) – Saracens / Calgary Irish Rugby Club (11 caps)
8. Lizzie Gibson (Caledon, ON) – Queen’s University / Oakville Crusaders (4 caps)
9. Olivia Apps (Lindsay, ON) – Saracens / Lindsay RFC (27 caps)
10. Taylor Perry (Oakville, ON) – Oakville Crusaders (28 caps)
11. Charity Williams (Toronto, ON) – Markham Irish (2 caps)
12. Alexandra Tessier (Sainte-Clotilde-de-Horton, QC) – Exeter Chiefs / Sainte-Anne-de-Bellevue (70 caps)
13. Florence Symonds (Vancouver, BC) – Loughborough Lightning / UBC Thunderbirds (20 caps)
14. Asia Hogan-Rochester (Toronto, ON) – Toronto Nomads / Westshore RFC (13 caps)
15. Savannah Bauder (North Vancouver, BC) – UBC Thunderbirds / Capilano RFC (1 cap)
FINISHERS
16. Taylor McKnight (Stouffville, ON) – Stade Bordelais / Ontario West / Aurora Barbarians (2 caps)
17. Sophie McDonald (Ottawa, ON) – Ontario East / University of Ottawa / Ottawa Rugby Club (1 cap)
18. Brooke Rempel (Ariss, ON) – Loughborough Lightning / Ontario West / Brantford Harlequins (4 caps)
19. Pamphinette Buisa (Gatineau, QC) – Loughborough Lightning / Ottawa Irish (23 caps)
20. Claire Gallagher (Caledon, ON) – Ealing Trailfinders / Aurora Barbarians (24 caps)
21. Gabrielle Senft (Regina, SK) – Stade Bordelais / Castaway Wanderers (45 caps)
22. Justine Pelletier (Rivière-du-Loup, QC) – Stade Bordelais / Club de rugby de Québec (48 caps)
23. Aurora Bowie (Stouffville, ON) – University of Ottawa / Ottawa Rugby Club (3 caps)
So tired of BCRN’s frequent comments about the Canadian backs. Always a little snide remark about “never being our strong point”. Huge contribution at WC and obviously critical in getting to a final. Please do the stats comparisons vs the top teams and players at WC. Read the recent Telegraph article Canada vs England where our backs are written up as having played extremely well vs the much vaunted and higher paid (haha, understatement) England backs. Does BCRN have some axe to grind? Pointless, wrong, and destroys your credibility.
Where are you reading that from BCRN in this article, and be honest with how they played – were the backs good against France?
“The back line, never Canada’s strong point…”. This is the text I was referring to and disagree with. Everyone knows Canada had an off day vs France, both backs and forwards. BCRN often makes sweeping and negative statements about the Canadian backs while major international media give them the respect they deserve. If they play well, give them credit; if they play poorly, sure, call it like it is.
Fair, missed that.