Photo via BBC Sport

Canada captain still loses sleep over final loss to England

Roughly twelve months following their defeat in the Women's Rugby World Cup decider, Canada skipper Sophie de Goede admitted that memories of the loss to England still keep her awake four to five times weekly. Her third-ranked squad is set to face the world champions this Saturday at Sandy Park in Exeter, before England continues an unprecedentedly demanding sequence by clashing with New Zealand at Allianz Stadium and travelling for pair of fixtures in Toronto and Ottawa.

Canada coach Kevin Rouet dismissed retribution talk by noting that the 2029 tournament represents the next critical milestone, while England mentor John Mitchell viewed the upcoming stretch and travel challenges as an audition for that future event.

Twenty-five Canadian internationals currently hone their skills in England's domestic Premiership Women's Rugby competition, with national trainers Rouet and Alex Austerberry coaching at Saracens and Nathan Smith based at Loughborough Lightning. Meanwhile, Mitchell and English rugby performance executive Charlie Hayter have pushed for English-qualified athletes to secure elevated game time, proposing a threshold of 1,000 league minutes per campaign.

To foster domestic participation alongside an average quota of 13 qualified players per matchday roster, the RFU is retaining squad rules while curtailing foreign recruit incentives by phasing out club injury replacement funding starting in the 2027-28 season.