In Toronto on Saturday, a streak four years in the making quietly came undone. England's women's rugby team, unbeaten since a World Cup final loss to New Zealand in November 2022, fell 24-21 to Canada before a record North American crowd — undone not by collapse, but by the relentless pressure of a host nation that refused to accept the role of underdog. It is a reminder that dominance, however impressive, is always provisional, and that sport's longest unbeaten runs end not with a whimper but with someone else's moment of glory.
England's 41-match unbeaten run ends as Canada stun Red Roses
A replacement player's late try ended four years of English dominance
Mark
So England hadn't lost in nearly four years—since the World Cup final in 2022. How does a streak like that actually end?
Mimi
With a fumble and a replacement player running down the wing in the last three minutes. It wasn't a collapse; England was ahead the whole time. But Canada kept the pressure on, and when the ball came loose, Seumanutafa was there.
Luke
Wait—was Seumanutafa on the field the whole match, or did she come on late?
Mimi
She was a replacement. So Canada made a tactical change that worked.
Mark
And this is the second time in a month Canada's done something to England's record. They drew 26-26 in September.
Mimi
Right. That draw snapped England's 39-match winning streak. So Canada's been chipping away at this dominance for weeks.
Luke
But a draw and a loss are different things. How long had it been since Canada actually beat England?
Mimi
2016. And never on Canadian soil before this.
Mark
Nearly 20,000 people watched it. That's a lot for women's rugby in North America.
Mimi
18,621. A record for a standalone fixture there. The crowd was part of it.
Luke
Do we know if that crowd advantage actually swung the match, or is that just narrative?
Mimi
The reporting doesn't say. But you can feel it in the timeline—Canada scored in the final minutes when they needed it most.
Mark
What happens next for England?
Mimi
They play Canada again in Ottawa in a week, then the USA in New Jersey after that. Both part of the same series.
Le Pouls
- England entered the final quarter with a nine-point cushion, only for a loose clearing kick and a midfield fumble to hand Canada the foothold they needed.
- Replacement Shoshanah Seumanutafa charged down the left wing three minutes from time to score the try that sealed a 24-21 Canadian victory — England's first defeat to Canada since 2016.
- The loss lands harder given context: Canada had already drawn 26-26 with England in Exeter just weeks earlier, snapping a 39-match winning streak before Saturday's result ended the unbeaten run entirely.
- A record 18,621 fans — the largest crowd ever for a standalone women's rugby fixture in North America — turned the stadium into a cauldron that visibly lifted Canada through the closing stages.
- England has no time to regroup in isolation: a rematch against Canada in Ottawa arrives on October 23, followed by a clash with the USA in New Jersey on October 30.
In Toronto on Saturday, a streak four years in the making quietly came undone. England's women's rugby team, unbeaten since a World Cup final loss to New Zealand in November 2022, fell 24-21 to Canada before a record North American crowd — undone not by collapse, but by the relentless pressure of a host nation that refused to accept the role of underdog. It is a reminder that dominance, however impressive, is always provisional, and that sport's longest unbeaten runs end not with a whimper but with someone else's moment of glory.
England's 41-match unbeaten run ended in Toronto on Saturday, brought down by a late try from replacement Shoshanah Seumanutafa, who charged down the left wing three minutes from time after a loose England clearing kick gave Canada their opening. The final score — 24-21 — marked England's first defeat to Canada since 2016 and the first time they had lost on Canadian soil after winning their previous 11 away fixtures there.
The match had seemed to be going England's way for much of the afternoon. Canada's Savannah Bauder scored early while England's Zoe Harrison was sin-binned, but the Red Roses responded with tries from Maddie Feaunati and Harrison before halftime, and Sarah Bern extended the lead to nine points early in the second half. Canada, though, kept pressing. Solo efforts from Alysha Corrigan and DaLeaka Menin brought the hosts back into contention, and when Seumanutafa touched down in the corner, the game was gone.
The occasion carried weight beyond the scoreline. An estimated 18,621 fans filled the stadium — a record for a standalone women's rugby fixture in North America — and their energy appeared to carry Canada through the closing stages. The defeat also arrives in the shadow of a 26-26 draw between the sides in Exeter in September, which had already snapped England's 39-match winning streak. Saturday's result ended the unbeaten run that had stretched back to the 2022 World Cup final loss to New Zealand.
England face Canada again in Ottawa on October 23 before concluding their WXV Global Series campaign against the USA in New Jersey on October 30. For Canada, the victory is a statement — proof that they can not only match England, but beat them when the moment demands it.
England's 41-match unbeaten run came to an end in Toronto on Saturday, undone by a late try that Canada converted into a 24-21 victory. Shoshanah Seumanutafa, brought on as a replacement, scored the decisive try three minutes from time, charging down the left wing after England's clearing kick went loose. The Red Roses had held a nine-point lead entering the final quarter, but Canada's relentless pressure and a crucial fumble in midfield gave the hosts their opening.
The match itself was tightly contested from the start. Savannah Bauder opened the scoring for Canada in the 15th minute while England's Zoe Harrison was in the sin-bin, but the Red Roses responded with tries from Maddie Feaunati and Harrison herself before halftime, taking a 14-5 lead into the break. Sarah Bern's try early in the second half extended England's advantage to nine points, but Canada kept coming. Alysha Corrigan scored a solo try for the hosts, and then DaLeaka Menin crashed over just after the hour mark to set up a tense final stretch.
This was Canada's second blow to England's dominance in recent weeks. The two sides had drawn 26-26 in Exeter in September, which at the time snapped England's 39-match winning streak. Saturday's defeat marks the first time Canada has actually beaten England since 2016, and the first time England has lost to Canada on Canadian soil after winning their previous 11 away matches there. More significantly, it ends England's unbeaten run that stretched back to November 2022, when they lost to New Zealand in the World Cup final.
The atmosphere at the match reflected the magnitude of the occasion. An estimated 18,621 fans filled the stadium—a record attendance for a standalone women's rugby fixture in North America. The crowd's energy seemed to lift Canada through the closing stages, and when Seumanutafa touched down in the corner, the result was sealed.
England will have little time to dwell on the loss. The two teams meet again in Ottawa on Friday, October 23, before the Red Roses travel to New Jersey to face the USA on October 30 to complete their WXV Global Series campaign. For Canada, the victory represents a significant statement in women's rugby, a team that has now proven it can not only match England but overcome them when it matters most.
Citations marquantes
Canada mounted an attack from halfway after a fumble put Harrison's clearing kick under pressure, and replacement Seumanutafa charged down the left wing to complete the comeback— Match report
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