Canada’s Florence Symonds, centre back to the camera, celebrates after scoring a try during the Women’s Rugby World Cup 2025 semifinal match between New Zealand and Canada in Bristol, England, on Friday, Sept. 19, 2025.
Canada’s Florence Symonds, right, scores a try during the Women’s Rugby World Cup 2025 semifinal match between New Zealand and Canada in Bristol, England on Friday, Sept. 19, 2025.
New Zealand’s players perform the Haka before the Women’s Rugby World Cup 2025 semifinal match between New Zealand and Canada in Bristol, England on Friday, Sept. 19, 2025.(AP Photo/Anthony Upton)
Canada’s Florence Symonds, centre back to the camera, celebrates after scoring a try during the Women’s Rugby World Cup 2025 semifinal match between New Zealand and Canada in Bristol, England, on Friday, Sept. 19, 2025.
BRISTOL - Canada is off to the Women’s Rugby World Cup final.
The No. 2-ranked country topped the defending champions 34-19 in the tournament’s first semifinal Friday.
Sophie de Goede led the way with a try, two conversions and a penalty for the Canadians, who will face the winner of Saturday’s match between England and France.
The final is set for Sept. 27 in London.
The only other time Canada made the tournament final was when it finished runner-up to England at the 2014 event in France.Â
ARTICLE CONTINUES BELOW
Canada and New Zealand — third in the current rankings — drew 27-27 when the teams met in Pacific Four Series play in Christchurch in May.Â
The Canadians held a 24-7 lead Friday after a first half that saw their speed catch the Black Ferns flat-footed.Â
Canada went up early when Justine Pelletier opened the scoring with a try eight minutes in, and de Goede converted for a 7-0 lead.Â
Asia Hogan-Rochester added a try three minutes later when she took a pass out wide and galloped down the wing, but de Goede missed the conversion.
After a sustained period of pressure trying to muscle over the line, the Canadians got the ball outside and Flo Symonds ran it in for 17-0 lead in the 24th minute after another de Goede miss on the conversion.Â
New Zealand responded two minutes later when Tanya Kalounivale surged over the line and Renee Holmes converted. Canada went back up by 17 late in the half when Pelletier popped the ball up to de Goede, who ran between the uprights before converting her own try.Â
ARTICLE CONTINUES BELOW
ARTICLE CONTINUES BELOW
Alex Tessier scored a try three minutes after the break and de Goede added another conversion for a 31-7 advantage for Canada.
Liana Mikaele-Tu’u got the defending champs back within 17 in the 56th minute before Braxton Sorensen-McGee converted. New Zealand kept pushing, and Sorensen-McGee got the ball over the line in the 65th, but failed to convert from a tight angle and Canada still led by 12 at 31-19.
But the under-fire Canadians then pushed back in impressive fashion as the clock ticked down before de Goede booted a penalty for a 15-point edge in the 74th minute that sealed their spot in next weekend’s final.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 19, 2025.
To join the conversation set a first and last name in your user profile.
Sign in or register for free to join the Conversation