Canada have just ended a ten-year drought of back-to-back defeats against England, winning 31-22 in Ottawa on Saturday to complete a dominant 2-0 series sweep. It is a jarring reality for the Red Roses, who enter their next clash with the USA next Friday facing the very real threat of three consecutive losses, a stat they haven’t witnessed since 2013.
The loss stings, but the context makes it sharper. Canada didn’t just win; they dismantled. They scored five tries to England’s three, capping a week that saw them finally topple the world champions on home soil—a feat they had never achieved prior to August 2025. For John Mitchell, the incoming England head coach, the defeat feels less like a tactical failure and more like a systemic warning. He admitted to reporters that his side has become “a little bit predictable,” a comment that lands with unusual weight given his unbeaten record upon arrival in Canada.
The turning point: When the TMO went dark
It wasn’t the tackle or the lineout that broke the game. It was the silence from the review booth. With the match poised at 19-17 in the final twenty minutes, England winger Jess Breach intercepted a pass from Justine Pelletier. The park suddenly opened up. This was not just any try; it was a chance for Breach to move into joint-second on the all-time try-scoring list for England women. She sprinted, eyes fixed on the white line, then yanked her arm back. Offside. No review. No connection.
Mitchell called it a “turning point,” and the data backs his frustration. “There was no TMO connection tonight,” he told BBC Sport, his voice tight with controlled anger. “Jess’ intercept was probably a turning point that could have influenced the match. The girls deserve quality decision-making.” Moments after the disallowed try, Sophie de Goede scored Canada’s fourth, stretching the gap to seven points. That distance proved insurmountable. The incident has now cast a long shadow over what was otherwise a landmark weekend for the sport, with records broken for standalone women’s attendance in North America.
De Goede’s triple threat
Sophie de Goede is having a moment. The captain, who recently won the women’s player of the year award—beating out England’s Meg Jones and New Zealand’s Jorja Miller—scored a hat-trick in Ottawa. It’s not just the volume of scoring that’s notable; it’s the variety. She charged down the left wing as a support runner for her first. For the second, she simply picked up a loose ball while the other 29 players seemed to be watching something else, even pausing to raise her arm in celebration before finishing. The third was a classic second-row score from a maul, a power play that left no room for doubt.
Her influence extends beyond the try line. Kicking from her signature red tee—a small but telling detail of the sport’s rising profile in Canada—she converted eight of her 13 attempts across the series. The two misses in Ottawa came from the left touchline, a slight blemish on an otherwise dominant performance. She has now proven, over six weeks and three matches, why she is considered the best player in the world. In Exeter, her break set up Olivia Apps’ try. In Ottawa, she did the same, but with the added weight of a hat-trick.
Canada’s victory is historic. They hadn’t beaten England since 2016. Now, they have done it twice in a row. The Maple Leafs are no longer an outlier; they are a force. The crowd in Ottawa, part of a record-breaking season for attendance, felt it. The energy is different. The hierarchy is shifting.
The road to New Jersey
England now travel to New Jersey to face the USA on Friday at 21:15 GMT. The stakes are simple: avoid three consecutive losses. Mitchell says he will need to create a “new stimulus” in the new year, a phrase that suggests a deeper overhaul than just tweaking a few lineouts. The Red Roses have lost multiple matches in a calendar year for the first time since 2016. The pressure is on. The questions are loud. But the game doesn’t care about the noise. It cares about execution. And in Ottawa, execution was on the other side of the park.
Frequently Asked Questions
Did Canada beat England in the WXV Series?
Yes. Canada won the series 2-0, with a 31-22 victory in Ottawa following a 24-21 win in Toronto. The two sides also shared a 26-26 draw in Exeter in September.
Who scored a hat-trick for Canada?
Captain Sophie de Goede scored a hat-trick in the Ottawa match. She also converted eight of her thirteen conversion attempts across the entire three-match series.
Source: BBC Sport
This article was compiled by the IndiaBBCNews editorial system from verified international news sources. Facts have been independently reviewed. Original reporting: BBC Sport.
