England’s 41‑match unbeaten streak snapped by Canada
England’s Red Roses saw their 41‑match unbeaten run, which stretched back almost four years, come to an abrupt end in Toronto when Shoshanah Seumanutafa scored a late try to give Canada a 24‑21 win. Coach John Mitchell had urged his side to “find something more” before the match, and the challenge proved decisive.
Canada, who had already broken England’s 39‑match winning streak with a 26‑26 draw in Exeter in September, became the first team to beat the Red Roses since they lost to New Zealand in the World Cup final in November 2022. The game attracted 18,621 spectators, a record for a standalone women’s fixture in North America. It also marked England’s first defeat by Canada since 2016 and their first loss on Canadian soil after winning eleven consecutive away games.
Savannah Bauder opened the scoring for Canada in the 15th minute after Zoe Harrison received a yellow card. England responded before halftime, taking a 14‑5 lead thanks to tries from Maddie Feaunati and Harrison, while Canadian captain Laetitia Royer spent time in the sin‑bin. In the second half, Sarah Bern equalised after Alysha Corrigan’s solo effort, preserving England’s nine‑point advantage. Canada’s DaLeaka Menin added a converted try just after the hour mark, tightening the contest.
With three minutes remaining, a fumble forced Harrison’s clearance kick into pressure, and substitute Seumanutafa surged down the left wing to complete the comeback. Mitchell, experiencing his first defeat since taking the helm in late 2023, said, “We’re disappointed by the result but there were very good things in our performance. We’ll stick to our processes. I guess the loss frees us up and allows us to find more. I know this group has got more in them. Sometimes it requires the context we’ve just received to dig deeper and find something more.”
The two sides will meet again in Ottawa on Friday, 23 October (early Saturday in the UK), before England finish the 2026 WXV Global Series against the USA in New Jersey on 30 October at 21:15 GMT.
England entered the match after showing signs of vulnerability in three home WXV fixtures in September. They trailed at half‑time against Australia for the first time since 2020 before rallying for a 48‑15 victory. A week later Canada held them to a draw in Exeter, and a narrow 26‑19 win over New Zealand at Twickenham was secured in the final minutes. In Toronto, Canada’s defensive resilience limited England’s scoring until the 32nd minute, and England missed several chances, including a disallowed early try by Claudia Moloney‑MacDonald for a knock‑on.
Penalties gave Canada space to launch fluid attacks, and a handling error when passing to fly‑half Harrison handed the hosts the field position for the match‑winning try. The defeat places England in unfamiliar territory, with several squad members, such as winger Jess Breach, never having experienced an international loss—Breach entered the game unbeaten in 59 caps.
Captain Meg Jones urged calm, reminding the team they remain world champions. “Stick together, look out for each other, and we go again,” she said. “We have to remember there’s a target on our backs constantly. Everyone has that underdog mentality, that underdog fight. We have to be the quickest to respond. That’s the nature of the game.”
Jones added, “What an amazing achievement for us as a group. I think we will go down in history as one of the best sporting teams. We’re still world champions, we’re still number one, and we’ll keep pushing to be the best we possibly can.”
Canada’s captain Sophie de Goede admitted she still has sleepless nights over the 2025 World Cup final loss to England. After the draw in Exeter, she was frustrated not to have a chance to win, though she accepted coach Kevin Rouet’s decision to kick the ball dead as sensible. In Toronto, de Goede praised her side’s “DNA” and the way they “found a way to win,” suggesting a more restful night may be on the horizon.
Although many Canadian players compete in England’s Premiership Women’s Rugby, the national team—ranked third globally—does not enjoy the same resources as the Red Roses. The squad even launched a crowdfunding campaign before the last World Cup to fund training camps. Following their run to the final, the Canadian government announced a new C$775 million (£401 million) sports fund. The record attendance and victory in their first home match since August 2025 highlight the growing momentum of women’s rugby in Canada. Scrum‑half Justine P. summed it up: “It’s a little bit more than just the score at the end because we won on so many levels.”