LONDON — Canada’s women’s rugby team will face world No. 1 England on Saturday in a highly anticipated Women’s Rugby World Cup final at Twickenham’s Allianz Stadium, where a record-breaking sellout crowd of 82,000 is expected.
Canada, ranked No. 2, booked its place in the championship by defeating six-time champions New Zealand 34-19 in the semifinal. England arrives on the back of a 32-match winning streak, having lost just once in their last 63 tests — a narrow defeat to New Zealand in the 2022 World Cup final.
“We’re excited to play England,” said Canada coach Kevin Rouet, who is in contention for World Rugby’s coach of the year. “If we wanted to win the World Cup, England was always going to be on the way.”
The Canadians have been turning heads with their fast, physical style, blending powerful forward play with unpredictable offloads and rapid counterattacks. Lock Sophie de Goede, a finalist for World Rugby’s Women’s Player of the Year, described it as “the most fun rugby I’ve ever had to play because there’s so much freedom.”
England, coached by veteran John Mitchell, brings depth and experience, with 14 players from its last World Cup final appearance in the matchday squad. Both sides are fielding unchanged lineups, signaling confidence in the squads that carried them through the semifinals.
Canada has never beaten England on English soil, holding a 3-33-1 all-time record against the Red Roses, and finished runner-up in its only previous trip to the final in 2014. But this year’s squad, Rouet says, has added experience, depth, and cohesion.
Saturday’s match will decide more than the trophy. A Canadian victory would dethrone England at the top of the world rankings, ending a reign shared only by the Red Roses and New Zealand since 2016.
For veterans like Karen Paquin, Tyson Beukeboom, and Olivia DeMerchant — all appearing in their fourth World Cup — the final represents both a shot at history and a culmination of years of resilience.
“Experience, depth and time together,” de Goede said, “that’s what sets us apart this time.”
Kickoff is expected to deliver not just the largest-ever audience for a women’s rugby match, but a defining moment in the sport’s global growth.