Canada name unchanged team for Women's World Cup final against England
FILE PHOTO: Rugby - Women's World Cup 2025 - Semi Finals - New Zealand v Canada - Ashton Gate, Bristol, Britain - September 19, 2025 Canada's Courtney O'Donnell celebrates after the match with team mates Action Images via Reuters/Peter Cziborra/File Photo
LONDON :Canada kept up their consistent team selection on Thursday by picking the same starting lineup and bench for a third successive game as they prepare to take on hosts England in Saturday’s Women’s Rugby World Cup final.
Canada will be looking to repeat last weekend's stunning semi-final success over holders New Zealand in Bristol, where they stormed into an early lead before securing a 34-19 triumph.
"So far so good, a good week of prep,” said coach Kevin Rouet. “Similar to last week and the week before, I like the energy of the group, so it's good."
Rouet also praised the contribution of the squad members who have not made the 23 for the knockout games. "They know their job, Canadians are good people and I can tell you it’s not easy after six, seven weeks to do this job and just mimic the operations team, when playing England and analysing that," he said.
"They did an amazing job to help them perform and they are part of this. If we end up champions, they are part of it and I’m very proud of them."
The matchday squad includes flanker Karen Paquin, who competed in Canada’s only previous final appearance, when England beat them 21-9 in Paris in 2014. Replacement lock Tyson Beukeboom was also on the bench for the final 11 years ago but did not come on.
Beukeboom said there was a different feel 11 years on.
"In 2014 we surprised a lot of people but I don't think anyone who's been watching us in the last couple of years is surprised that we've managed to make the final this time around," she said of the team ranked second in the world, behind England.
"We are so much more experienced, even with our young girls. They're coming off the back of an Olympics where they were in the final. Last weekend we played in front of 24,500 people, and then we're going into a game with 82,000 people and we really haven't had to have conversations about it."
Canada will have to draw on those recent performances as their record against England hardly inspires confidence. They have not beaten them in their last 13 meetings going back nine years and have won only three of their 37 all-time games.
They have claimed one early "win" though after correctly calling the coin toss and choosing Twickenham's "home" changing room in a ground considered neutral for the World Cup.
However, Rouet, who will have to give his team talk against a backdrop of colours, pictures and slogans designed to inspire England teams, played it down.
"I just wanted the big one," he said. "If you win the coin toss, you get the big changing room that’s it. There is no big thinking past that."
England also named an unchanged 23 for the final on Saturday when they will seek to win the trophy for the third time in front of an 82,000 crowd, a massive record for a women's XVs game. It will be England's seventh successive final, with 2014 their only success alongside five defeats to New Zealand.
Canada team for World Cup final:
15-Julia Schell, 14-Alysha Corrigan, 13-Florence Symonds, 12-Alexandra Tessier, 11-Asia Hogan-Rochester, 10-Taylor Perry, 9-Justine Pelletier, 8-Fabiola Forteza, 7-Karen Paquin, 6-Caroline Crossley, 5-Courtney O'Donnell, 4-Sophie de Goede, 3-Daleaka Menin, 2-Emily Tuttosi, 1-McKinley Hunt.
Replacements: 16-Gillian Boag, 17-Brittany Kassil, 18-Olivia DeMerchant, 19-Tyson Beukeboom, 20-Laetitia Royer, 21-Gabrielle Senft, 22-Olivia Apps, 23-Shoshanah Seumenutafa.
(Additional reporting by Mark Gleeson in Cape Town; editing by Ken Ferris and Pritha Sarkar)
