Red Roses Stunned in Ottawa

England suffered their first back-to-back defeats in a decade after falling to a resilient 31-22 defeat against Canada in the WXV Global Series in Ottawa.

The Red Roses initially looked to be finding their rhythm when Maddie Feaunati opened the scoring inside the game's opening 10 minutes, expertly converted by Zoe Harrison. However, the visitors were ultimately unable to avenge their narrow 24-21 loss in Toronto the previous week, a result that had already brought their remarkable four-year unbeaten run to a sudden halt.

Despite the early setback, England showed character to overturn a half-time deficit. Amy Cokayne—who recently returned to the fold following a calf injury—crossed the whitewash, helping the Red Roses briefly establish a 17-12 lead shortly after the break.

De Goede Inspires Canadian Comeback

Canada refused to yield, reclaiming the advantage just minutes later before pulling clear of the reigning heavyweights. Captain Sophie de Goede delivered a masterclass performance at the breakdown and in open play, completing a stunning hat-trick of tries alongside three successful conversions to extend the hosts' advantage to 31-17.

Emma Sing managed to cross for England in the dying minutes to narrow the deficit, but it proved to be merely a consolation as Canada closed out a famous victory.

Reflecting on the milestone win, Canada skipper Sophie de Goede said: "It's so amazing. It shows we can consistently perform at this level and now we just need to do it for another two, three years to the next World Cup in Australia."

England captain Meg Jones remained philosophical about the historic double loss, noting: "We're not broken, we just need to grow from this." The Red Roses will look to conclude their WXV Global Series campaign on a high note when they face the USA in New Jersey on Friday.

Wider WXV Action: Wales, Ireland and New Zealand Secure Wins

Elsewhere across the WXV Global Series, Wales ground out a hard-fought 17-0 victory over Japan under difficult, scrappy conditions in Tokyo. Scrum-half Seren Lockwood bagged a brace, though the Welsh camp was dealt a blow with centre Freya Bell suffering a severe knee injury.

In Cape Town, Ireland edged South Africa 40-27 in a chaotic 11-try spectacle—the first meeting between the two sides in two decades. Third-quarter scores from Beibhinn Parsons and captain Erin King proved crucial in breaking a back-and-forth contest.

Meanwhile, in Whangarei, New Zealand secured a 31-12 triumph over France, sealed by a brilliant 75-metre counter-attack try from Braxton Sorensen-McGee with ten minutes remaining.