It all comes down to this: the Canadian women’s rugby team will take on host England in the championship game at the Women’s Rugby World Cup on Saturday on TSN.
This final seemed destined from the start, as Canada entered the tournament ranked No. 2 in the world, while England entered as the top-ranked nation. The two sides played that way throughout the tournament as well, with each yet to suffer a loss in competition at any point in the tournament.
Canada breezed through Pool B action, claiming three victories with a 147-26 combined points advantage, then flattened Australia 46-5 in the quarter-final before their 34-19 victory over six-time and defending champion New Zealand in the semifinal really put the Canadian side on the map.
“Huge relief and excitement and pride after that,” Canada’s Sophie de Goede said after the match against New Zealand. “We knew it was going to take an incredible performance to beat them and I am just really proud we were able to put that out on the field and keep control in that game.”
While the joy of arguably the biggest win in Canadian women’s rugby emanated through the clubhouse after the game, Canadian coach Kevin Rouet kept the focus on the ultimate prize.
“I said to the girls to stop crying because we have a job to do in eight days,” Canada coach Kevin Rouet said. “That’s the mindset. We need to finish the job. I am excited for next weekend. I want it to be next weekend now.”
England faced little resistance in advancing to this point on home soil. The host side thrashed their competition in Pool A play, taking three wins by a combined score of 208-17. They toppled Scotland 40-8 in the quarters and rode a second-half outburst to a 35-17 victory over France in the semis.
England’s coach, John Mitchell, recognized that this was always the likely outcome, and it excited to see the Canadian side in the final. “No. 1 in the world and No. 2 [in the final], it’s awesome for the game,” Mitchell said. “Canada are playing great rugby, we are playing very effective rugby.”
Now the name of the game for Canada is figuring out how to crack the tough English side - and this rivalry has truly been a one-sided affair of late. England has defeated Canada in 13 consecutive matches, and England owns a 33-3-1 advantage in their 37 international competitions.
This is Canada’s second trip to the finals of the Women’s Rugby World Cup - and it was England that defeated them, 21-9, in France in 2014.
If there’s one thing Canada has in its corner, it’s de Goede, whose return from an injury has provided a major boost to the lineup. De Goede, 26, is one of three finalists for the Women’s World Rugby Player of the Year award, which will be awarded on Saturday.
De Goede comes from rugby royalty in Canada - her father, Hans de Goede, captained Canada at the inaugural 1987 Rugby World Cup, while her mother, Stephanie White, was the first Canadian women’s captain in 1987 and represented Canada for 10 years.
“If we didn’t want to go to rugby, I was definitely not forced to,” de Goede said in an interview in 2022. “But just growing up with it I kind of fell in love with it.”
She has a chance to etch her name into the Canadian history books if she and the Canadian team can overcome England to earn its first championship at the Women’s Rugby World Cup.
