Canada’s Sophie de Goede controls the ball the Women’s Rugby World Cup 2025 semifinal match between New Zealand and Canada in Bristol, England, Friday, Sept. 19, 2025.(AP Photo/Anthony Upton)
Canada-England: Rugby’s version of an unstoppable force meeting an immovable object.
No. 1 England plays No. 2 Canada in Saturday’s championship game at the Women’s Rugby World Cup. The showdown at Twickenham’s Allianz Stadium is rugby’s equivalent of an unstoppable force meeting an immovable object.Â
Canada’s Sophie de Goede controls the ball the Women’s Rugby World Cup 2025 semifinal match between New Zealand and Canada in Bristol, England, Friday, Sept. 19, 2025.(AP Photo/Anthony Upton)
No. 1 England plays No. 2 Canada in Saturday’s championship game at the Women’s Rugby World Cup. The showdown at Twickenham’s Allianz Stadium is rugby’s equivalent of an unstoppable force meeting an immovable object.Â
— Canada leads the tournament in four statistical categories, including percentage of ruck and scrum success. England leads in eight categories, including points, tries, tackles and dominant tackles.
— The Canadians have averaged four first-half tries to lead the tournament. The English, meanwhile, have averaged the most second-half tries at 4.8.
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— Canadian scrum half Justine Pelletier and English counterpart Natasha Hunt have both assisted on eight tries. No one else at the tournament has registered more than five assists.
— Canadian lock Sophie De Goede, a finalist for World Rugby Women’s Player of the Year, leads the tournament with 85 carries (she also topped the 2021 tournament with 101 carries) while Canadian prop DaLeaka Menin is second with 59 carries and leads all players with the most metres-in-contact (114).
— England flanker Sadia Kabeya leads the tournament with 90 tackles, while Canada’s Fabiola Forteza has the most dominant tackles (nine), just ahead of England’s Morwenna Talling and Megan Jones.
— Canada has won all 33 scrums on its own feed at the tournament. England has the highest success rate on opposition scrums, winning 17 of the 46 they’ve faced (37 per cent).
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This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 25, 2025
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