Photo: Rugby Canada/Provided.
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A HISTORIC RUN FOR THE CANADIAN WOMEN’S RUGBY TEAM ENDS WITH HEADS HELD HIGH
For the second time in World Cup history, the Canadian Women’s Rugby Team competed in the Rugby World Cup Final. Canada played deep in enemy territory at Allianz Stadium in London in front of a sold-out crowd of 82,000 spectators, the largest audience in women’s rugby history!
It seemed like England wanted this game more than anyone, having been defeated in the previous two World Cup Finals, they were certainly the more experienced and desperate team. The mighty England squad out-muscled Canada, taking down the true north in a heartbreaking 34-19 defeat to win their first World Cup since 2014.
After a stellar win against the Black Ferns in the semi-finals, this marks Canada’s second-ever trip to the finals, but also the fourth time that New Zealand has not participated, having won the last five out of the past eight World Cup golds.
The Game
Canada struck England’s Red Roses with a great offload play by Fabiola Forteza, to winger Asia Hogan-Rochester from Toronto, for the first try of the game, Canada took the lead 5-0.
It would take long for the 2024 player of the year Ellie Kildunne to breeze past Canada for an England try, tapping it in the middle of the zone for an easy kick from Zoe Harrison.
An England line-out in the 18th minute resulted in yet another try from Amy Cokayne after a drive, and Harrison’s kick was good. Followed by another try from Alex Mathews, and a kick from Harrison, putting dangerous pressure on the Canadians.
A penalty deep in England territory resulted in a successful three-point conversion from Sophie de Goede, but England was too much to handle as Cokayne drove in for her second try of the World Cup final. Luckily, the English were called on an obstruction, and the try was called back. Going into the second half, the Canadians found themselves down 21-8, in dire need of some offensive momentum.
Less than ten minutes into the half, England would score yet another try from Abbie Ward this time—faces of realization ridden within the Canadian players, slowly realizing that the World Cup gold was out of reach, becoming more like a fever dream.
All of the Canadian fans at Allianz Stadium were rowdy after a quick play down the back line found Hogan-Rochester on the wing for her second try of the game.
The England lead increased to 20 points with little time left in the World Cup Final when Mathews got her second try of the game, and Harrison’s kick was good.
It was a bittersweet World Cup for the second-place Canadians—an incredible run to make it to the finals set the tone that Canada’s Women’s Rugby is not a team to mess with, especially after taking down the formidable New Zealand Black Ferns 34-19 in the semi-finals.
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