For the first time since settling for a second-place finish at the Rugby World Cup last year, the Canadian women’s team is finally set to play on home soil.
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team → settle → soil
Canada will face world champion England in the opener of the Rugby Rematch Tour on Friday night at BMO Field.
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Canada → face → Field
The teams will also square off on Oct. 23 at TD Place in Ottawa.
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teams → square → Ottawa
“You can’t ask for much (more) than playing the No. 1 team in the world at home,” said Canadian vice-captain Alexandra Tessier.
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Tessier → ask → home
“So it’s just exciting.
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it → ’ → ?
It’s those pushes in your career as a rugby player that you want, and you want to take on the challenge.
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you → ’ → challenge
More than 18,000 fans are expected for Friday’s game, which Rugby Canada says will set a North American attendance record for a standalone women’s rugby match.
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Canada → expect → match
Piper Logan and Caroline Crossley have joined the squad since Canada’s first three WXV Global Series Tests last month in Europe against Scotland, England and France.
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Logan → join → Scotland
Canada posted a 1-1-1 record over the stretch, including a 26-26 draw in Exeter on Sept. 19 to end England’s 39-game winning streak.
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Canada → post → streak
England beat Canada 33-13 in the 2025 World Cup final in London.
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England → beat → London
“You have to find a balance between being competitive and also building for the next few years,” Canadian head coach Kevin Rouet said after a training session this week at Burlington Rugby Club.
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Rouet → have → Club
That new profile needs to challenge the older one, and I think it’s a great mix.
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it → need → one
“It’s great to see that in practice, that everybody is challenging each other.”
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everybody → ’ → other
Australia will host the next edition of the Women’s Rugby World Cup in 2029.
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Australia → host → 2029
Canada, France, England and New Zealand have already qualified after reaching the semifinals last year.
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Canada → qualify → semifinals
Alysha Corrigan, who missed Canada’s matches last month due to injury, will make her first start since last year’s Rugby World Cup.
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who → miss → Cup
Tessier will start at fly-half for the first time since facing the United States at the 2025 Pacific Four Series, with Taylor Perry moving to inside centre.
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Perry → start → centre
Rori Wood recently returned to camp for the first time since suffering an injury before the World Cup.
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Wood → return → Cup
Brittany Kassil is also back on the squad after a red-card suspension kept her out of two of the European matches.
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suspension → keep → matches
World Rugby’s reigning women’s player of the year Sophie de Goede will captain the Canadian side against England after missing Canada’s last match against France.
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Goede → reign → France
Asia Hogan-Rochester also returns to the starting lineup.
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Rochester → return → lineup
“I think it’s going to be a hard battle,” said Tessier.
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Tessier → think → ?
“They’re quite physical, which we are; we’re fast, and they have also some speed on the edge.
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they → ’re → edge
I think the ball is going to move from one side to the other, from kick battles to massive hits.”
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ball → think → hits
The recent draw with England has provided the Canadian team another key building block as it tackles this new four-year cycle.
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it → provide → cycle
The latest chapter in a budding rivalry will be Canada’s first home game since a 42-10 win over the United States on Aug. 1, 2025, in Ottawa.
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chapter → bud → Ottawa
“It’s a massive step forward for our team and where we’re heading in terms of building and beating England,” Tessier said.
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Tessier → ’ → England
“We got closer than before.
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We → get → ?
It’s given us some sort of confidence, I guess, but also time to reflect on what we need to improve for next time in order to finish on top.
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we → give → top
It’s also the kickoff of the domestic leg of the WXV Global Series tour.
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It → ’ → tour
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 15, 2026.
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report → publish → Press
The Aporia
