CANADA DEFEAT HOSTS IRELAND 47-26 IN FINAL WARM-UP GAME AHEAD OF RUGBY WORLD CUP
Rugby 15s Senior Women
In their final warm-up game ahead of the Rugby World Cup, Canada’s Women’s Rugby Team defeated Ireland 47–26 at Kingspan Stadium in Belfast on Saturday afternoon.
Saturday, August 9, 2025 (Belfast, Northern Ireland) – In their final warm-up game ahead of the Rugby World Cup, Canada’s Women’s Rugby Team defeated Ireland 47–26 at Kingspan Stadium in Belfast on Saturday afternoon.
Canada used a dominant five-try first half to power their way to victory. Florence Symonds scored twice in the opening 25 minutes, making it five tries in her last four games. Justine Pelletier, DeLeaka Menin, and Paige Farries added the other three tries to put Canada up 33-7 at the break.
Julia Schell and Sophie de Goede scored Canada’s two second-half tries. Off the tee, de Goede was successful on six of her seven conversion attempts.
Canada’s Fabiola Forteza was named Player of the Match after a strong performance across the pitch, excelling both in set pieces and open play.
“Really happy with what we delivered today,” said Forteza. “It was a grind at the beginning of the game, but we started finding our flow, our tempo, and that is what we do best. We expected a physical game against the Irish, and that is what we got.”
The win means Canada will officially begin the Rugby World Cup ranked second in the world, following a 16–5–1 record since the last World Cup in 2022. This includes victories over third-ranked New Zealand and fourth-ranked France.
Today's result also sees Canada surpass the 90-point mark in the World Rugby Women’s Rankings for the first time since the system was introduced in February 2016.
“We feel ready,” said Forteza when asked about Canada’s World Cup preparedness. “The build-up with our tour to South Africa, Ottawa, and now here in Ireland has really helped us build our connections. Playing more rugby has helped us find our flow.”
Captain Alexandra Tessier earned her 60th cap for Canada, becoming just the fifth player in Canadian women’s rugby history to reach the milestone, alongside Tyson Beukeboom, Gillian Florence, DeLeaka Menin, and Olivia DeMerchant. Unfortunately, Tessier’s day ended early after she was removed in the first half under HIA (Head Injury Assessment) protocol. Tessier joined her teammates on the bench in the second half to watch the reminder of the match.
CANADA SCORING SUMMARY
Tries: Florence Symonds (10’, 25’), Justine Pelletier (14’), DeLeaka Menin (33’), Paige Farries (40’), Julia Schell (55’), Sophie de Goede (79’)
Conversions: Sophie de Goede (6)
UP NEXT FOR CANADA’S WOMEN’S RUGBY TEAM
Canada’s opening match of the 2025 Rugby World Cup will be against Fiji on Saturday August 23 at York Community Stadium in York, England. Kick-off is scheduled for 6:30pm local time (9:30am PT / 12:30pm) and will be available on TSN and TSN+.
Canada will compete in Pool B at the Rugby World Cup alongside Scotland, Wales and Fiji. Click here for the full Pool B schedule.
CANADA’S WOMEN’S RUGBY TEAM MATCH DAY ROSTER VS IRELAND
1. McKinley Hunt (King City, ON) – Aurora Barbarians / Saracens
2. Gillian Boag (Calgary, AB) – Capilano RFC
3. DaLeaka Menin (Vulcan, AB) – Calgary Hornets / Exeter Chiefs
4. Sophie de Goede (Victoria, BC) - Castaway Wanderers / Saracens
5. Tyson Beukeboom (Uxbridge, ON) – Cowichan Piggies / Aurora Barbarians / Ealing Trailfinders
6. Karen Paquin (Quebec City, QC) - Club de rugby de Quebec
7. Caroline Crossley (Victoria, BC) - Castaway Wanderers
8. Fabiola Forteza (Quebec City, QC) – Club de rugby de Québec / Stade Bordelais
9. Justine Pelletier (Rivière-du-Loup, QC) – Club de rugby de Québec / Stade Bordelais
10. Claire Gallagher (Caledon, ON) – Aurora Barbarians / Leicester Tigers
11. Paige Farries (Red Deer, AB) – Saracens
12. Alexandra Tessier (Sainte-Clotilde-de-Horton, QC) – Sainte-Anne-de-Bellevue RFC / Exeter Chiefs
13. Florence Symonds (Vancouver, BC) - University of British Columbia
14. Alysha Corrigan (Charlottetown, PEI) - CRFC / Saracens
15. Julia Schell (Uxbridge, ON) – Guelph Goats / Castaway Wanderers / Ealing Trailfinders
FINISHERS
16. Emily Tuttosi (Souris, MB) - Calgary Hornets / Exeter Chiefs
17. Brittany Kassil (Guelph, ON) – Guelph Goats
18. Olivia DeMerchant (Mapledale, NB) - Halifax Tars RFC
19. Courtney O'Donnell (Rimbey, AB) – Red Deer Titans Rugby
20. Pamphinette Buisa (Gatineau, QC) - Ottawa Irish
21. Olivia Apps (Lindsay, ON) – Lindsay RFC
22. Shoshanah Seumanutafa (White Rock, BC) – Counties Manukau
23. Sarah-Maude Lachance (Victoriaville, QC) – Club de rugby de Québec / Stade Bordelais
MISSION: WIN RUGBY WORLD CUP
In March 2025, Rugby Canada officially launched the Mission: Win Rugby World Cup (MWRWC) 2025 fundraising campaign with the goal of raising $1,000,000. Despite rising to the second world ranking, the Canadian women’s rugby team operates on a fractional budget compared to its closest competitors. This $1 million gap was identified to best equip the team with extra resources to help them make history.
The mission is now within reach: over 88% of the fundraising goal has been pledged through generous individual donations and crowdfunding. Rugby Canada extends its deep appreciation to all MWRWC supporters in embarking on a final push of this campaign for the team’s Rugby World Cup journey. For more information or to donate, visit rugby.ca/donate.