Canada Women

The Canada women’s rugby team, also known as the Canucks, is one of North America’s greatest sides. The team has garnered an impressive competitive record, including two titles at the Pacific Four Series. They are also one of only four nations to reach a Women’s Rugby World Cup final.

Are you a dedicated Canucks devotee? If so, you’ve come to the right place. Scroll down for an in-depth look at the history of the Canada women’s rugby team, their best Rugby World Cup campaigns and all of the latest news, fixtures and scores.

Canada Women’s at the Rugby World Cup

The Canadian women’s rugby team has a strong record at the Rugby World Cup. To date, they have competed at every tournament. During this time, they have consistently finished inside the top six.

Canada’s crowning achievement came in 2014, when the Canucks became the fourth team to reach a Rugby World Cup final. Their campaign started with two group-stage victories (31-5 against Spain and 42-7 against Samoa) and one draw (13-13 against England). They replicated these results in the semi-final stage, where they secured a narrow 18-16 win over France. 

In the final, they met one of the tournament’s most successful sides: England. Despite their best efforts, the Canucks were unable to outmanoeuvre the Red Roses. They subsequently finished the tournament in second place – a phenomenal result and their best achievement to date. 

Elsewhere, the Canada women’s rugby team has contested four bronze-finals (1998, 2002, 2006 and 2021) and four fifth-place play-offs (1991, 1994, 2010 and 2017). To date, the Canucks have never won a bronze-final. However, they won two of their fifth-place play-offs in 1991 and 2017. 

In 2025, the Canucks will return to the world stage once more. They automatically qualified by finishing in the top four at the 2021 Rugby World Cup.

History of the Canada Women’s Rugby Team

Women’s rugby in Canada became popular in the 1980s. It was during this decade that the women’s national team was formed. A few years later, in 1987, they played their first international: a 3-22 loss against the United States.

Despite being defeated, this match marked a historic moment for Canada and the USA: it was the first women’s test to be contested outside of Europe. 

Since then, the Canadians have cemented their status on the world stage. They are one of only four teams to become Rugby World Cup finalists and they finished as the runners-up in 2014. 

Outside of the RWC, the Canucks women’s team has performed admirably in the Pacific Four Series. To date, they have won the tournament twice (2021, 2024) and been the runners-up on two occasions (2022, 2023). 

Canada Women’s Rugby Squad

The current Canada women’s rugby team features exemplary and enviable talents. This includes team captain and number 8 Sophie de Goede and hooker Emily Tuttosi. Both of these players were included in the 2022 World Rugby Dream Team of the Year.

In terms of past players, the Canucks legacy boasts one World Rugby Hall of Fame inductee: Heather Moyse. Widely regarded as one of the finest fullbacks of all time, Moyse earned 22 international caps and made appearances at the 2006 and 2010 RWC.