BBC News
· collected 2026-09-19 · by Elizabeth Botcherby, Alastair Telfer
England's head coach John Mitchell remains optimistic after his team drew with Canada 26-26, ending their record-breaking winning streak of 39 Tests. The match at Sandy Park was highly competitive despite England’s previous dominance in similar encounters; this draw extended their unbeaten run to 40 matches. Mitchell views the result as a learning opportunity rather than a setback, looking forward to upcoming games against New Zealand and additional matches with Canada and the United States.
Written locally by qwen2.5:14b on 2026-09-19,
using this article's own text rather than the other coverage of the
same event (that is the story summary below).
Story summary
In Exeter, on October 7, Canada ended England's record 39-match winning streak with a nail-biting 26-26 draw at Sandy Park during the WXV Global Series. The match saw four tries each from both teams and was particularly tense in the closing stages as neither side managed to score past that mark despite prolonged attacks by England. This is the first time since the 2022 World Cup final, where England defeated New Zealand, that they failed to secure a victory; however, their unbeaten streak extends to 40 matches including this draw. Canada, ranked third in the world and coached by Kevin Rouet, sees this as an important stepping stone ahead of the 2029 Women's Rugby World Cup, whereas England, led by head coach John Mitchell, views it as a constructive challenge for future improvement despite the setback.
Written for “Canada Ends England Rugby Streak” on 2026-10-05,
grounded in this article and the 4 other(s) covering the same event.
- Published
Head coach John Mitchell believes England's thrilling draw with Canada will inspire "greater things to come" from the world champions despite the result ending their record-breaking winning streak.
asserted
result → publish → streak
England had won their past 39 Tests before Saturday's fixture.
asserted
England → win → fixture
Canada, who had lost their 13 previous meetings with the Red Roses on English soil, held England to a 26-26 draw in a nail-biting, physical battle at Exeter's Sandy Park.
asserted
who → lose → Park
It was only the second game domestically or internationally for England's players this season and, for Mitchell, one result is not justification to tear up the playbook.
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result → tear → playbook
Instead, he views it as a building block towards future success.
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he → view → success
"It was just a matter of scoring across the white line," Mitchell said.
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Mitchell → score → line
"We were applying huge pressure.
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We → apply → pressure
We just didn't convert."
Avoiding defeat means the Red Roses have extended their unbeaten run to 40 matches, a record they will hope to extend with WXV Global Series games against New Zealand, two more fixtures against Canada and another against the United States still to come.
Mitchell said: "There was such good stuff in there.
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Mitchell → convert → States
I'm very patient because we're just starting and we're still alive in this Test series.
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we → start → series
There's a greater purpose and one Test match is not going to take us away from our purpose."
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match → be → purpose
For the opening 10 minutes, the match followed the script of last year's World Cup final between the two sides, with Canada breaking the deadlock and England immediately hitting back.
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England → follow → deadlock
But unlike last September, when they roared on to win 33-13, the Red Roses could not maintain control, with the two teams never separated by more than one try and England unable to convert 20 minutes of sustained pressure into the crucial score.
uncertain
England → roar → score
While acknowledging England would have to review their "game management", captain Meg Jones hailed the spectacle the two sides delivered.
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sides → acknowledge → spectacle
"It was definitely tit for tat and definitely a game of momentum swinging," said centre Jones.
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Jones → say → swinging
"It was two good teams going at each other.
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It → go → other
"It was an amazing contest and competitive as we imagined.
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we → imagine → ?
We get another two shots at it [against Canada]."
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We → get → Canada
Echoing Jones' defiance before October trips to Toronto and Ottawa, Mitchell added: "We're in a Test series.
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We → echo → series
"
Winning run has 'just been there' - Jones
England's 39-game winning run started under former head coach Simon Middleton, who, after the World Cup final defeat in 2022, led the Red Roses to a Women's Six Nations Grand Slam in 2023.
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who → start → 2023
Mitchell then took charge midway through the 2023 WXV1 campaign and had won every game until this one.
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Mitchell → take → one
England beat Scotland in the World Cup quarter-finals last September to claim their 31st straight Test win, surpassing their own record winning streak across both men's and women's international rugby union, which was set in 2022.
uncertain
which → beat → 2022
World Cup glory, another Women's Six Nations title and victory over Australia last weekend extended that record further.
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title → extend → record
"It's not necessarily something we speak about as a group; it's something that's just been there," Jones said of the winning run.
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Jones → speak → run
"We're very process-driven, so the outcome tends to look after itself."
asserted
outcome → drive → itself
The Aporia
