Women’s Rugby World Cup final: When is Canada vs. New Zealand, how to watch and everything else you need to know

Canada will play England at the Women’s Rugby World Cup final this weekend, aiming to defeat the top-ranked team on its home turf and win this country’s first-ever women’s rugby title.

It’s only Canada’s second berth in the championship match, after falling to England in 2014. But no matter who wins, the rematch has already made history as it is poised to have the largest-ever crowd watching a women’s rugby match.

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

The sport is riding a swell of interest and second-ranked Canada’s success in the tournament has more people taking an interest in playing – and watching – at home.

Here’s everything you need to know about Canada vs. England as the two countries vie for the title.

When is the Women’s Rugby World Cup final and what time does it start?

The 2025 Women’s Rugby World Cup final between Canada and England takes place on Saturday, Sept. 27, with kickoff at 11 a.m. ET (8 a.m. PT).

How to watch the final in Canada

The match will be screened live on TSN1, TSN4 and CTV2, with the pregame show starting at 10 a.m. Viewers can also stream it online by subscribing to TSN+.

Where is the final being held?

The final is taking place at Twickenham (these days also known as Allianz Stadium for corporate sponsorship reasons) in southwest London. It is the largest rugby stadium in the world, and all 82,000 tickets have been sold for Saturday’s match, which will make it the largest crowd to ever witness a women’s rugby match.

Twickenham is also affectionally known as the Cabbage Patch, as it was used to grow vegetables on before England’s Rugby Football Union purchased the land in 1907.

Who is on Canada’s women’s rugby roster?

Canada has been led by a number of standouts on its way to Saturday’s final, but perhaps none has done more than second-rower Sophie de Goede.

After captaining Canada to fourth place in New Zealand three years ago, de Goede tore her knee ligaments while playing for the sevens team before the Paris Olympics. But after a year out of the game rehabbing her injury, she’s more than bounced back, leading the World Cup in carries, offloads and lineout takes, as well as scoring 58 points, good for second in the tournament behind New Zealand’s Braxton Sorensen-McGee.

Testament to her return to form, de Goede, whose parents Hans de Goede and Stephanie White de Goede both also captained Canada at Rugby World Cups, was one of three nominees as World Rugby Player of the Year earlier this week.

Captain Alex Tessier, who inherited the captaincy from de Goede when she was injured, has also done a masterful job from inside centre, helping control the games – and Canada’s tempo – along with fly-half Taylor Perry.

And while she’s been quiet in the past few games as other players have stepped up, full-back Julia Schell has shown she can be lethal when she sniffs the tryline, with her six tries tied for second in the World Cup, with all six coming in the opening game. Schell has also carried the ball 389 metres, tops on the team, and third overall in the tournament.

Here’s a list of Canada’s starting roster for the final:

McKinley Hunt

Emily Tuttosi

DaLeaka Menin

Sophie de Goede

Courtney O’Donnell

Caroline Crossley

Karen Paquin

Fabiola Forteza

Justine Pelletier

Taylor Perry

Asia Hogan-Rochester

Alexandra Tessier

Florence Symonds

Alysha Corrigan

Julia Schell

And the finishers set for Saturday:

Gillian Boag

Brittany Kassil

Olivia DeMerchant

Tyson Beukeboom

Laetitia Royer

Gabrielle Senft

Olivia Apps

Shoshanah Seumanutafa

Canada vs. England head-to-head

While Canada has rolled through this tournament, scoring 35 tries in five games – tied for second behind England for most in the World Cup – it has had limited success against England, twice World Cup champions.

The Canadian women have won just three of their 37 matches against England (8.1 per cent), with one draw and 33 losses, with the Red Roses winning the last 13 contests since Canada’s last victory in the series, back in 2016.

Has Canada won the Women’s Rugby World Cup before?

Canada has never previously won the Women’s World Cup. The closest it came was second in 2014, when it lost the 21-9 to England in the final. Three players from that team – Karen Paquin, Tyson Beukeboom and Olivia DeMerchant – are in the current squad, while England has four holdovers from that tournament.

Underfunded and under the radar, Canada’s women’s rugby team is a World Cup contender

Women’s Rugby World Cup winners list

1991 – United States

1994 – England

1998 – New Zealand

2002 – New Zealand

2006 – New Zealand

2010 – New Zealand

2014 – England

2017 – New Zealand

2021 – New Zealand (held in 2022 because of the pandemic)

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