‘We can consistently perform at this level’: Canada eye long-term gains after England double

Apparently beating the Red Roses is a lot like London buses. You wait 10 years to do it once and then two wins come all at once.

One week after the herculean efforts of Toronto, Canada put on another barnstormer to beat England 31-22 at Ottawa’s TD Place Stadium.

It is a result that ends Canada’s year on a high, but sends the Red Roses into their autumn finale with the USA Women’s Eagles asking plenty of uncomfortable questions.

Beaten by England a year ago in the Women’s Rugby World Cup 2025 final, Canada seem to be a more complete and uncompromising side.

On Friday night, team captain Sophie de Goede scored a brace of tries and sees this latest win as a promising sign for the future.

“I talked last week about us trying to get more consistency, and I think it shows that we can consistently perform at this level,” De Goede said at full-time. “Now we just need to do it for another two or three years to the next World Cup.”

“I feel exhausted,” Kévin Rouet, Canada’s head coach, grinned. “It’s great for us. That was our goal, to be competitive against England in October and I think we showed we can be.”

Canada’s WXV Global Series campaign has now finished. While England will now move on to New Jersey and the USA Women’s Eagles, Rouet will be able to look back happily on his team’s efforts.

Not only have Canada gone unbeaten against the Red Roses across three matches [two wins and a draw], they have also played Test matches against Scotland and France. The latter of which accounted for their sole loss.

A team who make no secret of their ambitions, the head coach was clearly thrilled with his side’s efforts these past two months.

“We want to play the top teams,” Rouet said. “That’s what we have done the entire five games we have played.

“That’s great for us and we are just excited to keep going as a team. The target is always the World Cup in 2029 because we have unfinished business.”