Schell’s Record-Breaking Six-Try Haul Powers Canada to 65–7 Win Over Fiji in World Cup Opener

Saturday, August 23, 2025 (York, England) — Canada’s women’s rugby team opened their 2025 Rugby World Cup campaign in emphatic fashion on Saturday, running in 11 tries to topple Fiji 65–7 at York Community Stadium. 

It was a night to remember for fullback Julia Schell, who etched her name into the record books with six second-half tries — the most by a Canadian in a Rugby World Cup match — as the second-ranked Canadians began their Pool B schedule with maximum points. 

Dominant First Half 
Canada asserted themselves early, controlling possession and territory. A powerful scrum and precise set piece work set the tone, with Sophie de Goede scoring the opening try in the 6th minute and converting for a 7–0 lead. 

Hooker Gillian Boag followed with a driving maul finish in the 14th minute, and despite losing flyhalf Taylor Perry to a yellow card, Canada extended their lead through flanker Caroline Crossley, who marked her World Cup debut with a try while the team was down a player. 

By the 29th minute, winger Alysha Corrigan had secured the bonus point, finishing off a flowing move sparked by captain Alex Tessier. Fiji’s best chance of the half came from a lineout inside Canada’s 22, but de Goede stole the throw to keep the Pacific Islanders scoreless. 

At the break, Canada led 24–0, with four different try-scorers and de Goede adding two conversions. 
Schell Explodes for a Double Hat-Trick 

Fiji struck first in the second half, briefly cutting the margin to 24–7 through substitute Kolora Lomani, but from there it was one-way traffic. 

Schell crossed for her first try in the 50th minute and added five more between the 52nd and 72nd minutes, finishing opportunities created by Canada’s sharp handling and relentless forward platform. The 26-year-old entered the game with just three career test tries across her 26 appearances in red and white; she leaves York with her tally boosted to nine. 

Veteran Karen Paquin – one of three Canadians on the squad set to appear in a fourth World Cup – capped the scoring with a try in the 77th minute, while de Goede (four conversions) and Tessier (one) added points from the tee. 

Post-Match Reaction 

Julia Schell (Mastercard Player of the Match)  
“At halftime, Kevin challenged us to win our one-on-ones. I just wanted to get out there and do that – for myself and for the team. I know if I’m in the right place at the right time, the tries will come, but our focus was always on the team’s performance.” 

“Fiji is so fast and physical, and they love to play an offload game and play on the edge. We never wanted to rule them out, because we knew that at any moment they could come out flying, which they did right after halftime. That was our mindset going along – just keep pushing, keep pushing, keep pushing – because we knew they were going to do the same.” 

Alex Tessier (Captain)
“It's a very good win for us. We remained in control. Our key point today was to retain the ball and be clinical in our attack, and I think that’s what we did. We were playing composed throughout the game and we managed to put a lot of points on the board, which is really satisfying.” 

“The way we started the game, I think we got a little bit too excited. Our ball retention will be key [in the next game] and cleaning up the offloads in our game. We need to remain disciplined on defence. We got penalized too many times, especially in the first half – that's something to focus on next week.” 

“We're keeping it one game at a time, keeping our composure and building from game to game. We’re switching our mindset to Wales.” 

Kevin Rouet (Head Coach) 
“It’s good to start with confidence. We know there’s still room to improve, especially as this group adjusts to being ranked No. 2 in the world. It’s about building belief and showing we can deliver.” 

“We have a team where anyone can score, but this was the first time we’ve seen one player score so many tries, and you could see it on the field and on the bench – everyone was thrilled for Julia.” 

By The Numbers 

• 11 tries by seven different players, including Schell’s record six 
• Attacking prowess: 527 metres carried (vs. Fiji’s 224m), 119 carries (vs. 66), 22 defenders beaten (vs. 10), and 18 offloads (vs. 4) 
• Perfect set piece: 100% success on own scrums (5/5) and lineouts (8/8) 
• Defensive steel: 82% tackle completion, conceding just one try 

CANADA SCORING SUMMARY  
Tries: Sophie de Goede (6'), Gillian Boag (14'), Caroline Crossley (22'), Alysha Corrigan (29'), Julia Schell (50', 52’, 54’, 61', 69', 72’), Karen Paquin (77’) 

Conversions: Sophie de Goede (4), Alex Tessier (1) 

2025 WOMEN’S RUGBY WORLD CUP  
At the Rugby World Cup in England, Canada will compete in Pool B alongside Scotland, Wales and Fiji. Their second game of pool play will be against Wales at the Salford Community Stadium in Manchester, England on Saturday, August 30 at 4:00am PT / 7:00am ET (12:00pm local time). Click here for the full Pool B schedule.   

Earlier this week it was revealed the Women’s Rugby World Cup final at Twickenham next month is sold out with 82,000 fans, making it the most attended women’s rugby union match ever. Over 375,000 tickets have been sold across all matches so far — three times more than the 2021 World Cup in New Zealand.  

CANADA’S WOMEN’S RUGBY TEAM MATCH DAY ROSTER VS FIJI  
1. Brittany Kassil (Guelph, ON) – Guelph Goats (47 caps)  
2. Gillian Boag (Calgary, AB) – Capilano RFC (33 caps)  
3. DaLeaka Menin (Vulcan, AB) – Calgary Hornets / Exeter Chiefs (63 caps) 
4. Sophie de Goede (Victoria, BC) - Castaway Wanderers / Saracens (35 caps)  
5. Courtney O'Donnell (Rimbey, AB) – Red Deer Titans Rugby (47 caps)  
6. Caroline Crossley (Victoria, BC) - Castaway Wanderers (7 caps)  
7. Fabiola Forteza (Quebec City, QC) – Club de rugby de Québec / Stade Bordelais (35 caps)  
8. Gabrielle Senft (Regina, SK) – Castaway Wanderers / Saracens (34 caps)  
9. Justine Pelletier (Rivière-du-Loup, QC) – Club de rugby de Québec / Stade Bordelais (37 caps)  
10. Taylor Perry (Oakville, ON) - Oakville Crusaders / Exeter Chiefs (17 caps)  
11. Fancy Bermudez (Edmonton, AB) – Nor’Westers Athletic Association / Westshore RFC / Saracens (18 caps)  
12. Alexandra Tessier (Sainte-Clotilde-de-Horton, QC) – Sainte-Anne-de-Bellevue RFC / Exeter Chiefs (60 caps)  
13. Florence Symonds (Vancouver, BC) - University of British Columbia (12 caps)  
14. Alysha Corrigan (Charlottetown, PEI) - CRFC / Saracens (21 caps)  
15. Julia Schell (Uxbridge, ON) – Guelph Goats / Castaway Wanderers / Ealing Trailfinders (26 caps)  
 
FINISHERS   
16. Emily Tuttosi (Souris, MB) - Calgary Hornets / Exeter Chiefs (35 caps)  
17. McKinley Hunt (King City, ON) – Aurora Barbarians / Saracens (32 caps)  
18. Maya Montiel (Dieppe, NB) – Saracens   
19. Tyson Beukeboom (Uxbridge, ON) – Cowichan Piggies / Aurora Barbarians / Ealing Trailfinders (78 caps)  
20. Karen Paquin (Quebec City, QC) - Club de rugby de Quebec (45 caps)  
21. Rachel Smith (South Surrey, BC) – University of British Columbia (3 caps)  
22. Olivia Apps (Lindsay, ON) – Lindsay RFC (19 caps)  
23. Shoshanah Seumanutafa (White Rock, BC) – Counties Manukau (19 caps)  
 
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 95% of the fundraising goal has been pledged through generous individual donations and crowd funding. Rugby Canada extends its deep appreciation to all MWRWC supporters. For more information or to donate, visit rugby.ca/donate.