Canada\u2019s dream run at the Women\u2019s Rugby World Cup came to heartbreaking end on Saturday with a 33-13 loss to England in front of 81,885 fans, the largest crowd ever to watch a women\u2019s game. <\/p>\n
The Canadians got off to a fast start, driving down field in the opening minutes. They got an early try when Asia Hogan-Rochester burst down the right side and scored. But England came quickly back with three tries, and a trio of conversions to pull ahead 21-8 at the half.<\/p>\n
As the game wore on, Canada pressed but couldn\u2019t get the ball over the line against the power and smothering defence of England. England also slowed Canada\u2019s ruck speed \u2013 moving the ball quickly after it\u2019s downed \u2013 which had been one of the fastest in the tournament. <\/p>\n
Hogan-Rochester got another try in the second half, but it wasn\u2019t enough, and England pulled away to win their third World Cup title. <\/p>\n
Open this photo in gallery:<\/a><\/p>\n Alysha Corrigan, Tyson Beukeboom and Laetitia Royer react after the loss.Andrew Boyers\/Reuters<\/p>\n Canada came into the tournament ranked No. 2 in the world and reached the final with a convincing 34-19 win over defending champions New Zealand in the semi-final. But defeating world No. 1 England proved a step too far.<\/p>\n Saturday\u2019s game was played in a sold-out Allianz Stadium in Twickenham, outside London. It was effectively a home game for England with a sea of red and white shirts and supporters singing renditions of the English rugby anthem Swing Low, Sweet Chariot. Among the well-wishers were King Charles III, who sent \u201cwarmest good wishes\u201d to both teams, and Prime Minister Mark Carney<\/a> who capped off an official trip to Britain by attending the game. <\/p>\n Explainer: Canada\u2019s showdown with England in women\u2019s rugby was years in the making<\/a><\/p>\n Open this photo in gallery:<\/a><\/p>\n Prime Minister Mark Carney reacts in the stands with his wife Diana Fox Carney before the match.Andrew Boyers\/Reuters<\/p>\n England have been the dominant team in the women\u2019s game for years. They haven\u2019t lost a match since the last World Cup, and they\u2019ve piled up a 33-game winning streak. England has now beaten Canada 34 times in 38 matches. The only other time Canada reached the final was in 2014, when the team lost to England 21-9. <\/p>\n But even making the final this year was something of a fairy tale story for the Canadian team, which had to hold a crowdfunding campaign just to get to the tournament. <\/p>\n While most of the Canadian players compete in semi-pro leagues in Britain and France, the national team\u2019s budget is a fraction of those of major powers such as England or New Zealand. By contrast Rugby Canada launched a $1-million fundraising drive to ensure the team could compete in Britain. That campaign, named \u201cMission: Win Rugby World Cup,\u201d has almost reached its target. <\/p>\n \u201cThe Canadian public have really responded to that, and we\u2019re nearly there,\u201d Nathan Bombrys, chief executive officer of Rugby Canada said last week. \u201cYou invest in these players and look at what they do.\u201d<\/p>\n The team\u2019s strong run at the tournament also builds on the growing success of the women\u2019s program. <\/p>\n Canada has won silver and bronze at the Olympics in rugby sevens, a shorter version of the game played with seven instead of 15 players. The rugby union team \u2013 which has 15 players \u2013 hasn\u2019t lost a game this year and has a 22-5-1 record since the last World Cup.<\/p>\n