Canada end Red Roses' unbeaten rugby run

After 42 matches, a Rugby World Cup win and nearly four years without a defeat, England's incredible unbeaten run has been ended by Canada.

In a repeat of last year's World Cup final where Canada lost, this time they got revenge with a late try, sealing a 24 points to 21 victory in Toronto on Friday.

England, known as the Red Roses, had not lost an international rugby match since November 2022, when they were beaten 34-31 by New Zealand in the Women's Rugby World Cup final.

England's unbeaten run since then took them to World Cup glory in 2025, when they beat Canada 33-13 in the final.

In Friday's match, Canada scored first, but tries from Maddie Feaunati and Zoe Harrison gave England a 14-5 lead at half-time.

Canada refused to give up in the second half. A try and a conversion reduced England's lead to just two points.

And, with only a few minutes remaining, Shoshanah Seumanutafa raced over the line for the winning try. That put Canada ahead for a 24-21 victory.

It was Canada's first win over England in 10 years. Some Red Roses players had never lost an international match before. The teams are due to meet again in Ottawa on Friday 23 October.

Despite the defeat, captain Meg Jones said she was proud of England's unbeaten run: "What an amazing achievement for us as a group. I think they will go down in history as one of the best sporting teams.

"We're still world champions, we're still number one, and we'll still keep pushing to be the best we possibly can."

The match in Canada was watched by 18,621 people in Toronto, with organisers saying it was a record crowd for a women's rugby match in North America.