By Canadian Press

Coach believes Canada women on right track ahead of the Rugby World Cup in England

Jan 8, 2025 | 12:47 PM

It’s a big year for the Canadian women’s rugby team, with the World Cup set to kick off in August in England.

Canada coach Kevin Rouet hopes it will be a historic one.

The Canadian women climbed to second in the world rankings behind England in May after recording their first-ever victory over reigning World Cup champion New Zealand with a 22-19 decision to win the Pacific Four Series.

Canada slipped back to third in mid-July with the Black Ferns retaking No. 2 but Rouet’s side regained second spot in September after a 46-24 win over No. 4 France at the WXV tournament in Vancouver.

Rouet believes his team is on the right track to the World Cup.

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“I feel like we are more prepared the year before the World Cup than last time,” he said in an interview.

Rouet led Canada to a fourth-place finish at the pandemic-delayed World Cup in November 2022. He had been elevated to head coach in March 2022 after four years as an assistant coach.

The Canada women have gone 10-5-0 since that World Cup with four of the losses to England and one to New Zealand.

Canada’s best showing at the tournament was in 2014 when it lost 21-9 to England in the final.

The depth of the squad has grown under Rouet, as shown by the team’s success in the absence of talismanic captain Sophie de Goede, a former World Player of the Year nominee who is recovering from knee surgery. The 25-year-old backrower from Victoria is targeting her return at the end of May so will likely not be part of the Pacific Four.

Rouet will take 32 players to the World Cup.

“It’s going to be a tough selection at the end. But it’s good to see the depth is way better,” said the French-born coach. “We, as coaches, have more confidence in the wider squad than we had at the last World Cup so that’s a big game-changer.”

Alex Tessier has been a player to watch for Canada, honoured as a finalist for World Rugby’s Women’s 15s Player of the Year in 2024. Tessier, who won her 50th cap last year, has proved to be a key member of the backline, operating at centre alongside fly half Claire Gallagher, and captained Canada against England in the WXV final.

England remains a formidable opponent.

The Red Roses have dominated the all-time series with Canada, holding a 33-3-1 edge while outscoring Canada 1,271-489. And England has won the last 13 meetings, dating back to a 52-17 defeat in the 2016 Women’s Rugby Super Series in Salt Lake City.

But the gap is closing.

England won 21-12 the last time they met, in October in the WXV final — a loss that snapped a six-game Canadian win streak. And Canada pushed the Red Roses to the limit in the semifinal of the 2022 World Cup before going down 26-19.

Canada’s goal is to have both its offence and defence operating in top gear. The few losses the team has experienced have come when one has not been as good as the other.

Rouet likely won’t get his players together until April, with most playing their club rugby in England or France.

Canada will open defence of its Pacific Four Series title against the ninth-ranked U.S., likely May 3 at a yet-to-be-announced location south of the border, before heading to the Southern Hemisphere to face No. 3 New Zealand on May 17 in Christchurch and No. 5 Australia on May 24 in Brisbane.

There could be a warm-up game but it has not been finalized yet. After the Pacific Four, the Canadian women will also see action in advance of the World Cup before making final preparations likely in camp in Ireland before heading to England.

“I think it’s going to be a good preparation. I just need to make sure that the final details are on point,” said Rouet.

The Canadian women will open World Cup Pool B play against No. 17 Fiji on Aug. 23 at York Community Stadium in York before facing No. 10 Wales on Aug. 30 at Salford Community Stadium and No. 7 Scotland on Sept. 6 at Sandy Park in Exeter.

The top two in each of the four pools advance to the quarterfinals where the Pool B winner will face the runner-up in Pool A, likely Australia or the U.S. with England favoured to win the group. New Zealand could await Canada in the semifinals.

The Canadian women have a 10-2-2 career record against Wales, winning 42-22 the last time they met, at the 2023 WXV I tournament. Canada is 6-1-0 against Scotland, winning 28-25 the last time they met in November 2018 in Glasgow.

Canada has met Fiji just once, winning 24-7 in Suva in September 2022 in its final test match ahead of next month’s last World Cup.

The World Cup runs from Aug. 22 to Sept. 27 at eight venues across England. The final and third-place game will take place at London’s Allianz Stadium, formerly known as Twickenham Stadium.

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This report by The Canadian Press was first published Jan. 8, 2025

Neil Davidson, The Canadian Press