Team Canada has reached their second final in the history of the Women’s Rugby World Cup. On Friday, Canada beat New Zealand by a score of 34-19 in Bristol, England in the first of two semifinal games.
This is the second time Canada is in the Women’s Rugby World Cup final. In 2014 in Paris, France, Canada lost 21-9 to England in the final. England will be Canada’s opponent on September 27 in London. In the other semifinal in Bristol on Saturday, England beat France 35-17.
In the semifinal, five Canadians recorded a try. They were scrum-half Justine Pelletier of Riviere-du-Loup, Quebec (eighth minute), wing and Canadian Olympic silver medalist Asia Hogan-Rochester of Toronto, Ontario (11th minute), wing, outside centre and Canadian Olympic silver medalist Florence Symonds of Vancouver, British Columbia (24th minute), number eight Sophie de Goede of Victoria, British Columbia (35th minute), and fly-half and centre Alex Tessier of Sainte-Clotilde-de-Horton, Quebec (43rd minute). Meanwhile, de Goede made three conversions, and a penalty kick. Hogan-Rochester and Symonds won a silver medal for Canada in women’s rugby sevens at the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris. Ironically, it was New Zealand who beat Canada in the Olympic women’s rugby sevens gold medal game a year ago by a score of 19-12.