Canadian women's rugby aims to deal England its 1st loss in 41 matches during upcoming double-header

Women’s sport in Canada has grown exponentially in the last few years.

One of the most brilliant teams on the world stage is Canada’s women’s rugby team, led by French head coach Kévin Rouet. The World Cup silver medallists (15-player version) will be playing a pair of matches against England in Toronto (Saturday, Oct. 17) and Ottawa (Saturday, Oct. 24).

The Red Roses are ranked No. 1 in the world and beat Canada in the 2025 Women’s Rugby World Cup final last year. The match in Toronto is expected to break the standalone attendance record for a North American rugby match.

The team boasts some of the most impressive players on the planet, including Canada's captain and 2025 Rugby Player of the Year Sophie de Goede, and Olivia Apps, who was named Player of the Season by the Premiership Women’s Rugby.

Lizzie “Gibby” Gibson, 25, will be playing her first match with the team on Canadian soil.

Gibson said the loss against England has left hunger for Canada to prove it's capable of being the world's top-ranked team. Canada has never beaten England but recently tied them in the WXV Global Series in September, hosted in the United Kingdom.

“I know that these games mean so much to these players and so much to the new players too,” Gibson told CBC Sports. “They have that little bit of fire from that World Cup loss. I just want to add to that and be like, ‘I'm right here. I'm right with you.’ And I'm gonna do everything that I possibly can. Like putting my body on the line for you guys to do that.”

Canada women's rugby have two chances to take down England on home soil

Gibson, who hails from Caledon, Ont., and plays back row and was named to the senior women’s team in 2026.

She is no stranger to winning and has been a stalwart on