Canada sweeps world champion England 2–0 as Sophie de Goede leads Ottawa victory

ASM, Philippine Canadian Inquirer
October 25, 2026

Photo courtesy: Rugby Canada

OTTAWA, Canada — Canada’s women’s rugby team completed a remarkable two-match sweep of reigning world champion England, defeating the Red Roses 31–22 at TD Place in Ottawa on Friday, October 23.

Captain Sophie de Goede led the Canadians with three tries and three conversions as the hosts secured their second consecutive victory over the world’s top-ranked team.

The win followed Canada’s 24–21 triumph in Toronto on October 16, which ended England’s 41-match unbeaten streak.

Friday’s result marked the first time England had suffered consecutive defeats since 2016, giving Canada a significant achievement against the team that defeated it in the 2025 Women’s Rugby World Cup final.

De Goede leads Canada’s second-half comeback

England opened the scoring through Maddie Feaunati, but Canada responded with a try from Julia Omokhuale and a conversion by de Goede to level the match.

De Goede then crossed the try line to give Canada a 12–7 advantage at halftime.

The Red Roses fought back after the break, with a penalty from Zoe Harrison and a converted try from Amy Cokayne putting England ahead 17–12.

Canada answered through its captain, who scored her second try and converted it to restore the lead at 19–17.

De Goede completed her hat-trick as the Canadians extended their advantage, before Savannah Bauder added another try to put the hosts firmly in control.

England’s Emma Sing scored late in the match, but the visitors could not overcome Canada’s lead.

De Goede finished with 21 of Canada’s 31 points, while Omokhuale and Bauder contributed the team’s other two tries.

Historic back-to-back victories over England

Canada’s two victories came during the Rugby Rematch Tour, part of the WXV Global Series, and marked the national team’s return to home soil following its runner-up finish at the 2025 Women’s Rugby World Cup.

The October 16 match in Toronto drew 18,621 spectators, while 13,117 attended the second encounter in Ottawa.

For the Canadians, the results demonstrated their ability to compete with the reigning world champions across consecutive matches rather than in a single encounter.

England, meanwhile, entered the series as the world’s top-ranked women’s rugby team but left Canada with its first back-to-back losses in a decade.

The Ottawa victory also allowed Canada to retain the Utrecht Shield, a symbolic title tracing the lineage of international women’s rugby back to its first recognized match in 1982.

Canada looks toward 2029 World Cup

Following the win, de Goede expressed pride in her teammates and the support they received from Canadian fans.

“Immensely proud, it’s so special for us to do it on home soil too,” she said.

Head coach Kevin Rouet welcomed the two victories while emphasizing that the team remains a work in progress as new players join the national program.

Canada’s players will now return to their professional clubs, with the national team scheduled to resume international competition in the Pacific Four Series in April 2027.

The team is building toward the 2029 Women’s Rugby World Cup in Australia, hoping to improve on its runner-up finish in 2025.