Canadian rugby great Tyson Beukeboom retires after record-setting career

TORONTO – Tyson Beukeboom is leaving rugby with a Canadian record, two World Cup silver medals and no desire to take another hit.

The 35-year-old from Uxbridge, Ont., announced her retirement Friday after 13 years with Canada’s women’s team, ending a career that saw her earn 84 international caps — more than any other Canadian rugby player, male or female.

A veteran of four Rugby World Cups, Beukeboom helped Canada reach the final in 2014 and again in September 2025, when the Canadians fell 33-13 to England in what would be her final appearance.

Despite the disappointment of that defeat, Beukeboom said she was ready to walk away from the sport she still loves.

“I kept playing because I still loved it, and I still do. I wanted to continue loving the game after I was done playing,” Beukeboom said in a statement released by Rugby Canada. “I didn’t want rugby to push me out; I wanted to choose when my time was up.”

The six-foot-two second-row forward made her international debut against England in July 2013 and went on to become a fixture on the Canadian team.

She also helped Canada win the Pacific Four Series title in 2024.

Known for her physical presence, Beukeboom said she was happy to step away from the punishment that comes with the sport.

“I love the physicality of the sport, and I love being someone that brought that physicality and really made a statement with it, but I’m also so happy to not hit anyone, or get hit ever again,” she said.

“I think I’m just honoured to be a part of such a pivotal moment in women’s sport, women’s rugby, and Canadian women’s rugby.”

Physicality runs in the family. Her father, Jeff Beukeboom, was a hard-hitting NHL defenceman who won four Stanley Cups with the Edmonton Oilers and New York Rangers.

Her club career included stops with Cowichan RFC in British Columbia and the Aurora Barbarians in Ontario. Beukeboom also played professionally in England with the Ealing Trailfinders.

Canadian head coach Kevin Rouet praised her bruising approach and understanding of the game, describing her as “violent on defence, but smart on offence.”

Beukeboom said Canada’s run to last year’s World Cup final was a defining moment for a team that had spent years building toward competing with the world’s best.

“I think that, through that tournament alone, we made a massive, massive statement and made a name for ourselves around the world,” she said. “The Canadian women’s team has been building toward that point for a long time, and it’s an honour to now be part of that legacy.”

Her retirement comes as Canada plays a pair of rematches against England on Friday at BMO Field in Toronto and Oct. 23 at TD Place in Ottawa.

The two countries fought to a 26-26 draw in Exeter, England, on Sept. 19, ending the Red Roses’ 39-game winning streak.

The upcoming matches mark Canada’s first home appearances since reaching the World Cup final, with more than 18,000 fans expected for Friday’s contest in Toronto.

Beukeboom said she hopes the squad’s accomplishments will be remembered long after her individual records are surpassed.

“People will forget my story, specifically, but I don’t think anyone’s going to forget our team. The one thing I will say to my teammates is that as much as I don’t really miss playing, I do miss playing with them.”

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 16, 2026.