Canada Beat England 24-21 in Toronto to End a 41-Match Unbeaten Run

TORONTO. Canada beat England 24-21 at BMO Field on Friday night, Oct 16, 2026, in the opening match of the WXV Global Series. A try in the 77th minute gave the home side the lead for good and ended England's run of 41 matches without a defeat.

The result is a final score. England led 14-5 at halftime and still lost.

Canada score first, England answer before the break

England thought they had scored early. Claudia Moloney-MacDonald crossed in the opening minutes, but officials ruled the play a knock-on and the try did not count.

Canada scored first through Savannah Bauder after a spell of pressure. England replied with two tries in a short burst before halftime. Maddie Feaunati crossed first, then Zoe Harrison scored, and Harrison converted both tries to put England ahead 14-5 at the break.

The second half turns in Toronto

Alysha Corrigan scored for Canada soon after play resumed. Sarah Bern answered for England with a try of her own, and the gap stayed out of reach for much of the half.

DaLeaka Menin changed that in the 63rd minute. She powered over for Canada's third try, and captain Sophie de Goede added the conversion to cut England's lead to two points.

With less than three minutes left, Shoshanah Seumanutafa scored the winning try. Canada held on through the final plays to close out the 24-21 win.

A record crowd and a long run ends

Officials put the crowd at 18,621. Reports from the match said that set a new record for a standalone women's rugby match in North America. The old mark was 11,453, set on Aug 1, 2025, when Canada beat the United States 42-10 in Ottawa.

England are the top ranked team in the world and the current world champions. Canada are ranked third. England had not lost since the 2022 World Cup final, when New Zealand beat them 34-31.

The two sides met in the World Cup final last year. England won that match 33-13, and Canada finished as runners-up. Friday was Canada's first match on home soil since that tournament.

This win did not come out of nowhere. On Sep 19, 2026, Canada drew 26-26 with England in Exeter. That draw ended England's 39-match winning streak. Friday's result went one step further and ended the unbeaten run itself. Reports said Canada's last win over England before Friday came in 2016.

England head coach John Mitchell said after the match that his side was disappointed with the result but saw good parts in the performance, and that the group would stick to its process. Canada's players said the win was a goal the team had worked toward for a long time.

What comes next

The two teams play again next Friday, Oct 23, 2026, in Ottawa. That match is the second game of this two-game tour between the sides.

For Canada, Friday gives them a home win over the world champions and a result their fans will remember. For England, the loss ends a run that lasted close to four years, and the rematch in Ottawa now carries a clear edge.