Skip to main content

Canada beat England 24-21 to end the Red Roses' 41-match unbeaten run

Replacement Shoshanah Seumanutafa's try two minutes from time gave England their first defeat since the 2022 World Cup final, and the sides meet again in Ottawa on Friday 23 October.

By RuckBee Newsroom1 min read
Players in red embrace and celebrate in a floodlit stadium while England players in white kneel dejected on the grass nearby.
AI illustration

England's unbeaten run in women's rugby is over after 41 matches. Canada came from behind in Toronto to win 24-21, with replacement Shoshanah Seumanutafa scoring two minutes from the end.

The Red Roses had not lost since November 2022, when they went down to New Zealand in the World Cup final. That stretch covered four years and 41 games. Canada had already ended England's winning streak in September with a 26-26 draw in Exeter, and they have now gone one better.

BBC Sport reported that it was England's first defeat by Canada since 2016, and their first ever on Canadian soil after 11 straight away wins there.

How Canada turned it round

Canada scored first. Zoe Harrison was in the sin-bin when Savannah Bauder went over in the 15th minute. England answered later in the half with tries from Maddie Feaunati and Harrison herself, and they went in 14-5 ahead at the break.

The second half was a different game. Alysha Corrigan scored a solo try for the hosts, and Sarah Bern replied straight away for England. DaLeaka Menin then crashed over for Canada, which left the finish wide open until Seumanutafa won it late on.

A crowd of 18,621 watched at BMO Field, a record for a women's rugby match in North America.

Mitchell looks for a response

John Mitchell found some positives in the defeat. "We are disappointed by the result but there are some very good things in our performance tonight," he said.

"I know this group definitely has more in it but sometimes that requires the context that we have just received to dig deeper," Mitchell said.

England do not have long to wait for a chance at revenge. The two sides play again in Ottawa on Friday 23 October, and England then finish their 2026 WXV Global Series against the USA in New Jersey on Friday 30 October. Both games are on our rugby fixtures page.

Sources

All pro rugby stories
A smiling player in maroon hugs a teammate while a player in red and white hoops stands hands on hips before a floodlit crowd.

Pro Rugby

Gloucester vs Bordeaux ends 36-36 as Bielle-Biarrey double rescues the holders

Louis Bielle-Biarrey's second try, converted by Maxime Lucu, cancelled out a Will Trenholm double on a night that began with a minute's silence for Lions lock Hyron Andrews.

A player in a red jersey with a black armband stands before bowed teammates on a grassy ridge above a high-rise city skyline.

Pro Rugby

Lions vs La Rochelle goes ahead after the death of lock Hyron Andrews

The squad chose to play their first ever Champions Cup match in his honour, and there will be a silence before every European match this weekend.

Two muddy rugby players in white and red jerseys embrace and celebrate in the rain before a crowded stand and hillside houses.

Pro Rugby

Dragons beat Perpignan from behind but four tries fall short of a bonus

Late tries from Anzelo Tuitavuki and Fetuli Paea settled it, but because Perpignan crossed twice, Filo Tiatia's side needed a fifth try for the bonus point.