Canada falls to first-ranked England in Women’s Rugby World Cup final

Canada’s dream run at the Women’s Rugby World Cup came to heartbreaking end on Saturday with a 33-13 loss to England in front of 81,885 fans, the largest crowd ever to watch a women’s game.

The Canadians got off to a fast start, driving down field in the opening minutes. They got an early try when Asia Hogan-Rochester burst down the right side and scored. But England came quickly back with three tries, and a trio of conversions to pull ahead 21-8 at the half.

As the game wore on, Canada pressed but couldn’t get the ball over the line against the power and smothering defence of England. England also slowed Canada’s ruck speed – moving the ball quickly after it’s downed – which had been one of the fastest in the tournament.

Hogan-Rochester got another try in the second half, but it wasn’t enough, and England pulled away to win their third World Cup title.

Canada came into the tournament ranked No. 2 in the world and reached the final with a convincing 34-19 win over defending champions New Zealand in the semi-final. But defeating world No. 1 England proved a step too far.

Saturday’s game was played in a sold-out Allianz Stadium in Twickenham, outside London. It was effectively a home game for England with a sea of red and white shirts and supporters singing renditions of the English rugby anthem Swing Low, Sweet Chariot. Among the well-wishers were King Charles III, who sent “warmest good wishes” to both teams, and Prime Minister Mark Carney who capped off an official trip to Britain by attending the game.

Explainer: Canada’s showdown with England in women’s rugby was years in the making

England have been the dominant team in the women’s game for years. They haven’t lost a match since the last World Cup, and they’ve piled up a 33-game winning streak. England has now beaten Canada 34 times in 38 matches. The only other time Canada reached the final was in 2014, when the team lost to England 21-9.

But even making the final this year was something of a fairy tale story for the Canadian team, which had to hold a crowdfunding campaign just to get to the tournament.

While most of the Canadian players compete in semi-pro leagues in Britain and France, the national team’s budget is a fraction of those of major powers such as England or New Zealand. By contrast Rugby Canada launched a $1-million fundraising drive to ensure the team could compete in Britain. That campaign, named “Mission: Win Rugby World Cup,” has almost reached its target.

“The Canadian public have really responded to that, and we’re nearly there,” Nathan Bombrys, chief executive officer of Rugby Canada said last week. “You invest in these players and look at what they do.”

The team’s strong run at the tournament also builds on the growing success of the women’s program.

Canada has won silver and bronze at the Olympics in rugby sevens, a shorter version of the game played with seven instead of 15 players. The rugby union team – which has 15 players – hasn’t lost a game this year and has a 22-5-1 record since the last World Cup.

Canada and England share women’s rugby’s biggest stage in World Cup final clash

The five-week tournament has been an important showcase for women’s rugby which is growing in popularity in many countries.

Around 440,000 tickets were sold during the competition – three times more than the last World Cup in New Zealand – and the television audience for Saturday’s game is expected to top the record 3.3 million viewers who tuned into the BBC last week for England’s semi-final win over France.

Rugby officials in Canada and England said the women’s game is seeing record levels of participation, especially among teenage girls who’ve been drawn to the sport’s diversity and acceptance.

The number of people playing rugby in Canada jumped 11 per cent last year and it’s expected to grow 10 per cent this year, according to Rugby Canada. And much of that is being driven by women, said Bombrys.

More high schools and universities have also started clubs. All but one of the 15 starters for Team Canada on Saturday played for a U SPORTS program.

The Rugby Football Union, the national governing body in England, is also in the midst of a four-year plan to more than double female participation to 100,000 players by 2027.

Earlier on Saturday, New Zealand finished third by beating France 42-26.

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