Canada Ends England's 41-Match Unbeaten Streak in Thriller
Shoshanah Seumanutafa's late try secured a dramatic 24-21 victory for Canada, marking England's first loss since November 2022.
England's impressive 41-match unbeaten streak in international rugby union came to a dramatic end on Saturday as Canada secured a thrilling 24-21 victory in Toronto. The winning score came from Shoshanah Seumanutafa's late try, handing the Red Roses their first defeat since the World Cup final in November 2022.
Canada, who had previously snapped England's 39-match winning run with a 26-26 draw in Exeter in September, are the first team to defeat England since their loss to New Zealand. The match, played in front of a North American record crowd of 18,621 for a standalone women's fixture, also marked Canada's first win against England since 2016 and their first on Canadian soil.
Canada opened the scoring in the 15th minute through Savannah Bauder, capitalizing on a yellow card for England's Zoe Harrison. However, England responded with two tries from Maddie Feaunati and Harrison before halftime, taking a 14-5 lead while Laetitia Royer was in the sin-bin for Canada.
Early in the second half, Sarah Bern extended England's lead, but Canada's Alysha Corrigan responded with a solo try. DaLeaka Menin then crashed over for a converted score just after the hour mark, setting the stage for a tense conclusion.
With three minutes remaining, a fumble on a clearing kick by Harrison put England under pressure, allowing Seumanutafa to charge down the left wing for the match-winning try.
The two teams are scheduled to meet again in Ottawa on Friday, October 23. England will conclude their 2026 WXV Global Series campaign against the USA in New Jersey on Friday, October 30.