Canada defeated England 24-21 in women's rugby on October 18 in Toronto, ending the Red Roses' 41-match unbeaten run that stretched back almost four years. Replacement Shoshanah Seumanutafa scored the match-winning try in the 77th minute as Canada mounted a late comeback in front of 18,621 fans, a record for a standalone women's fixture in North America.
England's last defeat came in the 2022 World Cup final against New Zealand in November 2022. This is Canada's first win over England since 2016 and their first victory on Canadian soil against the world champions.
How England lost their lead
England led 14-5 at half-time after tries from Maddie Feaunati and Zoe Harrison, but Canada's defensive resilience kept the pressure on. Canada's Savannah Bauder opened the scoring in the 15th minute, and Alysha Corrigan added a try early in the second half. DaLeaka Menin's converted try in the 63rd minute set up a tense finale, according to the BBC.
Sarah Bern's try had preserved England's nine-point lead at one stage, but multiple handling errors and missed opportunities in Canada's 22-meter zone cost the Red Roses. A critical error when delivering the ball to fly-half Zoe Harrison gave Canada field position to launch their match-winning attack.
Canada's tries came from Bauder, Corrigan, Menin and Seumanutafa. England's tries were scored by Feaunati, Harrison and Bern, with Harrison converting all three.
England's first loss in nearly four years
The defeat places England in uncharted territory. Winger Jess Breach was unbeaten in her previous 59 caps, according to BBC Sport. Several players in the squad had never tasted international defeat before this match.
England head coach John Mitchell, appointed in late 2023, said the loss offered a chance for growth. "We're disappointed by the result but there was some very good things in our performance. So we'll stick to our processes," Mitchell said. "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 that we've just received to dig deeper and find something more."
England captain Meg Jones struck a defiant tone after the match. "We're still world champions, we're still number one, and we'll still keep pushing to be the best we possibly can," she said. "We've got to be in a position now where we've got to be the quickest to respond. That's the nature of the game."
Canada's redemption after World Cup heartbreak
Canada finished runner-up to England at the 2025 World Cup. In September 2026, Canada drew 26-26 with England in Exeter in the teams' previous WXV Global Series encounter, according to Sky Sports.
For Canada, the victory carried significance beyond the scoreline. "I think it's a little bit more than just the score at the end because we won on so many levels today," Canada's Justine Pelletier said. "Off the field, just the crowd, being home, and there's so much going on around. And I think that win at the end on the pitch was just the cherry on top."
Canada captain Sophie de Goede had confessed in September that she still had sleepless nights about the 2025 World Cup final defeat, according to BBC Sport.
What comes next for England
The two teams will meet again in Ottawa on October 23 in the second match of their Rugby Rematch Tour. England will then face the USA in New Jersey on October 30 to conclude their WXV Global Series fixtures.
England's September home matches had shown warning signs. The world champions trailed Australia at half-time for the first time since 2020 before winning 48-15, drew with Canada in Exeter, and required a converted try in added time to beat New Zealand 26-19 at Twickenham, according to BBC Sport.