Canadian women’s rugby team looks to topple world champion England on home soil

TORONTO – For the first time since settling for a second-place finish at the Rugby World Cup last year, the Canadian women’s team is finally set to play on home soil. 

Canada will face world champion England in the opener of the Rugby Rematch Tour on Friday night at BMO Field. The teams will also square off on Oct. 23 at TD Place in Ottawa. 

“You can’t ask for much (more) than playing the No. 1 team in the world at home,” said Canadian vice-captain Alexandra Tessier. “So it’s just exciting. It’s those pushes in your career as a rugby player that you want, and you want to take on the challenge.”

More than 18,000 fans are expected for Friday’s game, which Rugby Canada says will set a North American attendance record for a standalone women’s rugby match.

Piper Logan and Caroline Crossley have joined the squad since Canada’s first three WXV Global Series Tests last month in Europe against Scotland, England and France. 

Canada posted a 1-1-1 record over the stretch, including a 26-26 draw in Exeter on Sept. 19 to end England’s 39-game winning streak. England beat Canada 33-13 in the 2025 World Cup final in London.

“You have to find a balance between being competitive and also building for the next few years,” Canadian head coach Kevin Rouet said after a training session this week at Burlington Rugby Club. “So we are at this stage now. That new profile needs to challenge the older one, and I think it’s a great mix.

“It’s great to see that in practice, that everybody is challenging each other.”

Australia will host the next edition of the Women’s Rugby World Cup in 2029. Canada, France, England and New Zealand have already qualified after reaching the semifinals last year.  

Alysha Corrigan, who missed Canada’s matches last month due to injury, will make her first start since last year’s Rugby World Cup.

Tessier will start at fly-half for the first time since facing the United States at the 2025 Pacific Four Series, with Taylor Perry moving to inside centre.

Rori Wood recently returned to camp for the first time since suffering an injury before the World Cup. Brittany Kassil is also back on the squad after a red-card suspension kept her out of two of the European matches. 

World Rugby’s reigning women’s player of the year Sophie de Goede will captain the Canadian side against England after missing Canada’s last match against France. Asia Hogan-Rochester also returns to the starting lineup.

Olivia Apps and Justine Pelletier are the other vice-captains.

“I think it’s going to be a hard battle,” said Tessier. “They’re quite physical, which we are; we’re fast, and they have also some speed on the edge. I think the ball is going to move from one side to the other, from kick battles to massive hits.”

The recent draw with England has provided the Canadian team another key building block as it tackles this new four-year cycle. 

The latest chapter in a budding rivalry will be Canada’s first home game since a 42-10 win over the United States on Aug. 1, 2025, in Ottawa.

“It’s a massive step forward for our team and where we’re heading in terms of building and beating England,” Tessier said. “We got closer than before. It’s given us some sort of confidence, I guess, but also time to reflect on what we need to improve for next time in order to finish on top.”

It will be the BMO Field debut for the Canadian women’s team. It’s also the kickoff of the domestic leg of the WXV Global Series tour.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 15, 2026.