Canada women's national rugby union team
| Nicknames | Canucks Maple Leafs | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Union | Rugby Canada | ||
| Head coach | Kévin Rouet | ||
| Captain | Alex Tessier | ||
| |||
| World Rugby ranking | |||
| Current | 2 (as of 2 October 2025) | ||
| Highest | 2 (2016, 2024–) | ||
| First international | |||
| Canada 3–22 United States (Victoria, British Columbia, Canada; 14 November 1987) | |||
| Biggest win | |||
| Canada 98–0 Hong Kong (Dublin, Ireland; 9 August 2017) | |||
| Biggest defeat | |||
| Canada 3–88 New Zealand (Edmonton, Canada; 8 September 1996) | |||
| World Cup | |||
| Appearances | 9 (First in 1991) | ||
| Best result | Runners-up (2014, 2025) | ||
| Website | rugby.ca/en Rugby Canada | ||
| Rank | Change* | Team | Points |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | England | 97.76 | |
| 2 | Canada | 90.13 | |
| 3 | New Zealand | 88.76 | |
| 4 | France | 86.42 | |
| 5 | Ireland | 78.20 | |
| 6 | Scotland | 77.39 | |
| 7 | Australia | 75.46 | |
| 8 | United States | 72.90 | |
| 9 | Italy | 72.37 | |
| 10 | South Africa | 71.62 | |
| 11 | Japan | 69.72 | |
| 12 | Wales | 66.13 | |
| 13 | Fiji | 63.98 | |
| 14 | Spain | 62.42 | |
| 15 | Samoa | 59.72 | |
| 16 | Hong Kong | 57.56 | |
| 17 | Netherlands | 57.42 | |
| 18 | Russia | 55.10 | |
| 19 | Kazakhstan | 53.88 | |
| 20 | Kenya | 50.68 | |
| *Change from the previous week | |||
The Canada women's national rugby union team represents Canada in international rugby union competitions. They are overseen by Rugby Canada, the governing body of rugby union in Canada.
History
The Canadian women's program began to develop in the 1980s with the first match being played in 1987 in Victoria, British Columbia against another international rugby start-up, the United States.[2] It was the first women's international test match that was played outside of Europe.[3]
In 1991, Canada competed in the inaugural Women's Rugby World Cup in Wales. The team finished in fifth place after defeating Spain 19–4 in the Plate final. Canada has appeared in every World Cup since 1991.[2]
Canada were finalists at the 2014 Rugby World Cup. They were drawn in the same pool with eventual winners, England. They had a 13 all draw during the pool stage before meeting in the final, Canada lost 21–9 and were runners-up.[4][5][6][7]
In 2022, Canada finished fourth after losing to France in the third place final at the delayed 2021 Rugby World Cup.[8][9][10]
Competitive record
Women's Rugby World Cup
Champions Runners-up Third place Tournament played fully or partially on home soil
| World Cup record | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Round | Position | Pld | W | D | L | PF | PA | Squad |
| 1991 | Plate winners | 5th | 5 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 80 | 37 | Squad |
| 1994 | Shield finalists | 6th | 5 | 2 | 0 | 3 | 105 | 46 | Squad |
| 1998 | Fourth place | 4th | 5 | 2 | 0 | 3 | 52 | 163 | Squad |
| 2002 | Fourth place | 4th | 4 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 85 | 94 | Squad |
| 2006 | Fourth place | 4th | 5 | 2 | 0 | 3 | 145 | 98 | Squad |
| 2010 | Fifth place play-off | 6th | 5 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 146 | 66 | Squad |
| 2014 | Runners-up | 2nd | 5 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 113 | 62 | Squad |
| 2017 | Fifth place play-off | 5th | 5 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 213 | 60 | Squad |
| 2021 | Fourth place | 4th | 6 | 4 | 0 | 2 | 143 | 104 | Squad |
| 2025 | Runners-up | 2nd | 6 | 5 | 0 | 1 | 240 | 83 | Squad |
| 2029 | Qualified | ||||||||
| 2033 | To be determined | ||||||||
| Total | Runners-up | 10/10 | 51 | 30 | 2 | 19 | 1,322 | 813 | N/a |
Head-to-head record
Overall
(Full internationals only; Correct as of 27 September 2025)
| Opponent | First game | Played | Won | Drawn | Lost | Percentage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Australia | 2014 | 8 | 8 | 0 | 0 | 100.00% |
| England | 1993 | 38 | 3 | 1 | 34 | 7.89% |
| Fiji | 2022 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 100.00% |
| France | 1996 | 18 | 9 | 0 | 9 | 50% |
| Hong Kong | 2017 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 100.00% |
| Ireland | 2002 | 5 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 80.00% |
| Italy | 1991 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 100.00% |
| Japan | 1994 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 100.00% |
| Kazakhstan | 1994 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 100.00% |
| Netherlands | 1998 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 100.00% |
| New Zealand | 1991 | 20 | 2 | 1 | 17 | 10% |
| Samoa | 2014 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 100.00% |
| Scotland | 1994 | 8 | 7 | 0 | 1 | 87.5% |
| South Africa | 2009 | 6 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 100.00% |
| Sweden | 2010 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 100.00% |
| Soviet Union | 1991 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 100.00% |
| Spain | 2006 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 100.00% |
| United States | 1987 | 48 | 29 | 0 | 19 | 60.42% |
| Wales | 1991 | 15 | 11 | 2 | 2 | 73.33% |
| Summary | 1987 | 183 | 96 | 4 | 83 | 52.46% |
Players
Current squad
On 24 July 2025, Kévin Rouet announced Canada's 32-player squad for the 2025 Rugby World Cup.[11]
1 On 15 August 2025, Pamphinette Buisa was ruled out of the World Cup after sustaining an injury in a warm-up match against Ireland. She was replaced by Julia Omokhuale.[12]
Note: The age and number of caps listed for each player is as of 22 August 2025, the first day of the tournament.
| Player | Position | Date of birth (age) | Caps | Club/province |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gillian Boag | Hooker | 19 February 1995 (aged 30) | 32 | Capilano RFC |
| Taylor McKnight | Hooker | 5 April 2003 (aged 22) | 1 | University of Guelph / Aurora Barbarians |
| Emily Tuttosi | Hooker | 21 September 1995 (aged 29) | 34 | Exeter Chiefs / Calgary Hornets |
| Olivia DeMerchant | Prop | 16 February 1991 (aged 34) | 60 | Halifax Tars RFC |
| McKinley Hunt | Prop | 5 January 1997 (aged 28) | 32 | Saracens / Aurora Barbarians |
| Brittany Kassil | Prop | 14 March 1991 (aged 34) | 46 | Guelph Goats |
| DaLeaka Menin | Prop | 16 June 1995 (aged 30) | 63 | Exeter Chiefs / Calgary Hornets |
| Maya Montiel | Prop | 11 October 1999 (aged 25) | 5 | Saracens |
| Mikiela Nelson | Prop | 27 November 1997 (aged 27) | 10 | Exeter Chiefs / Capilano RFC |
| Tyson Beukeboom | Second row | 10 March 1991 (aged 34) | 77 | Cowichan Piggies / Aurora Barbarians |
| Caroline Crossley | Second row | 19 April 1998 (aged 27) | 7 | Castaway Wanderers |
| Courtney O'Donnell | Second row | 25 April 1999 (aged 26) | 46 | Red Deer Titans Rugby |
| Julia Omokhuale1 | Second row | 9 July 2001 (aged 24) | 7 | Saracens / Calgary Irish |
| Rachel Smith | Second row | 7 April 2001 (aged 24) | 3 | University of British Columbia |
| Pamphinette Buisa1 | Back row | 28 December 1996 (aged 28) | 17 | Ottawa Irish |
| Sophie de Goede | Back row | 30 June 1999 (aged 26) | 35 | Saracens / Castaway Wanderers |
| Fabiola Forteza | Back row | 4 August 1995 (aged 30) | 35 | Stade Bordelais Women |
| Karen Paquin | Back row | 3 August 1987 (aged 38) | 45 | Club de rugby de Quebec |
| Laetitia Royer | Back row | 9 February 1991 (aged 34) | 18 | Saracens / Saint-Anne-de-Bellevue RFC |
| Gabby Senft | Back row | 13 June 1997 (aged 28) | 32 | Saracens / Castaway Wanderers |
| Olivia Apps | Scrum-half | 1 December 1998 (aged 26) | 18 | Lindsay RFC |
| Justine Pelletier | Scrum-half | 27 February 1996 (aged 29) | 37 | Stade Bordelais Women |
| Claire Gallagher | Fly-half | 20 April 2000 (aged 25) | 18 | Trailfinders |
| Taylor Perry | Fly-half | 23 July 2000 (aged 25) | 15 | Exeter Chiefs / Oakville Crusaders |
| Alex Tessier (c) | Fly-half | 3 September 1993 (aged 31) | 59 | Exeter Chiefs / Saint-Anne-de-Bellevue RFC |
| Alysha Corrigan | Centre | 25 January 1997 (aged 28) | 21 | Saracens |
| Shoshanah Seumanutafa | Centre | 17 September 1999 (aged 25) | 18 | Chiefs Manawa |
| Fancy Bermudez | Wing | 27 May 2002 (aged 23) | 18 | Saracens / Westshore RFC |
| Paige Farries | Wing | 12 August 1994 (aged 31) | 40 | Saracens |
| Asia Hogan-Rochester | Wing | 20 April 1999 (aged 26) | 3 | Toronto Nomads / Westshore RFC |
| Florence Symonds | Wing | 20 May 2002 (aged 23) | 12 | University of British Columbia |
| Sarah-Maude Lachance | Fullback | 7 December 1998 (aged 26) | 10 | Stade Bordelais Women |
| Julia Schell | Fullback | 13 July 1997 (aged 28) | 26 | Trailfinders / Castaway Wanderers |
World Cup squads
Notable players
- Heather Moyse is the first Canadian woman to be inducted into the World Rugby Hall of Fame in 2016.[13][14] She has represented Canada in rugby, cycling and bobsleigh; She won two gold medals at the Winter Olympics in 2010 and 2014.[14] She has made 22 international appearances for Canada in 15s and has been to two Women's Rugby World Cups in 2006 and 2010.[14] She also helped Canada finish in second place at the 2013 Rugby World Cup Sevens in Russia.[14]
Award winners
The following Canada players have been recognised at the World Rugby Awards since 2001:[15][16][17][18]
|
|
Honours
- Runners-up (1): 2023
- Champions (1): 2016
Attendance
The highest attended matches played in Canada.
| Rank | Attendance | Opponent | Date | Venue | Location | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 11,453 | United States | 1 August 2025 | TD Place Stadium | Ottawa | [19] |
| 2 | 10,092 | New Zealand | 10 July 2023 | TD Place Stadium | Ottawa | [20] |
References
- ^ "Women's World Rankings". World Rugby. Retrieved 15 September 2025.
- ^ a b Khan, Safa. "History of Women's Rugby in Ontario". Rugby Ontario. Archived from the original on 13 November 2021. Retrieved 13 November 2021.
- ^ Birch, John (16 August 2014). "An American Century: USA's 100th test". Scrum Queens. Archived from the original on 4 April 2023. Retrieved 7 May 2022.
- ^ "How did England win the 2014 Women's Rugby World Cup?". IRB. 31 August 2014. Retrieved 6 September 2021.
- ^ Butler, Michael (17 August 2014). "Women's Rugby World Cup final: England v Canada – as it happened". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 18 February 2022.
- ^ Riach, James (17 August 2014). "Emily Scarratt's boot hands England World Cup final win over Canada". The Guardian. Retrieved 18 February 2022.
- ^ "Women's Rugby World Cup: England beat Canada to win final". BBC Sport. 17 August 2014. Retrieved 1 March 2022.
- ^ "Blue wave hits Canada as France celebrates Bronze victory". Americas Rugby News. 12 November 2022. Retrieved 22 November 2022.
- ^ "Canadian women fall to France in bronze-medal match at Rugby World Cup". www.cbc.ca. 12 November 2022. Retrieved 24 November 2022.
- ^ "Five-try France blow away Canada to take bronze at Rugby World Cup 2021". www.rugbyworldcup.com. 12 November 2022. Retrieved 24 November 2022.
- ^ "32-PLAYERS NAMED TO CANADA'S SQUAD FOR RUGBY WORLD CUP IN ENGLAND". Rugby Canada. 24 July 2025. Retrieved 28 July 2025.
- ^ "Buisa ruled out of Canada squad for Women's RWC 2025". Rugby World Cup. 15 August 2025. Retrieved 15 August 2025.
- ^ "Heather Moyse to be inducted into World Rugby Hall of Fame". CBC.ca. 14 November 2016. Retrieved 30 June 2022.
- ^ a b c d "Heather Moyse - World Rugby - Hall of Fame". www.world.rugby. Retrieved 29 June 2022.
- ^ "Awards Roll of Honour - World Rugby". www.world.rugby. Retrieved 16 March 2024.
- ^ "Magali Harvey the Women's Player of the Year". www.world.rugby. 17 August 2014. Retrieved 27 September 2025.
- ^ "De Goede named World Rugby Player of the Year". www.rugbyworldcup.com. 27 September 2025. Retrieved 27 September 2025.
- ^ "Women's Rugby World Cup stars shine in World Rugby Awards 2025". www.world.rugby. 2 October 2025. Retrieved 2 October 2025.
- ^ "Canada Score 35 Unanswered to Down USA in Front of Record Crowd". August 2025.
- ^ "The Soaring Popularity of Women's Rugby: A Look into Crowd Records %". 12 July 2023.