OTTAWA — England have suffered a 2-0 series defeat to Canada after a 31-22 loss in Ottawa, ending their record 39-match winning streak and 41-match unbeaten run stretching back nearly four years and marking consecutive defeats for the first time since 2016. The result completes a remarkable turnaround from 13 months ago when England beat Canada 33-13 in the World Cup final, and follows last month's 26-26 draw in Exeter.
For the second time in eight days England captain Meg Jones was called upon to take stock of defeat and struck a defiant tone. "It was a hell of a contest. We're not broken, we just need to grow," said Jones. "Do it together, use the lessons. We're playing the best teams, getting the best punches thrown at us. I genuinely believe we've got the best players in the world. When we're firing, generally we're unstoppable. We don't dwell on the past, we're not anxious about the future, we're focused on the present." Canada have now proved England are not invincible, a reality which should hearten New Zealand and France — both have beaten Canada in the past 12 months — with three years to go until the 2029 World Cup.
England's performances across the WXV Global Series highlighted areas for improvement in attack and defence. In Ottawa Sarah Bern was held up over the line and England conceded a turnover less than five metres out before the break, before opting to kick a penalty early in the second half to close the deficit — perhaps a lesson from Exeter where they turned down a shot at goal to chase the win. In defence they have conceded 18 tries across their past five WXV matches, compared to eight in six at the World Cup, and have trailed at the break three times, something they had not experienced since 2020. Gabrielle Senft picked off a bouncing ball from a missed pass to set up Canada's second try on Friday, and moments later a pass bisected Jess Breach and Jones before Jones pounced just ahead of Lizzie Gibson. "We were riding the waves, building phases, scrum, set piece, we were very strong. Sometimes it's the bounce of the ball or it doesn't swing your way. We couldn't execute when we got in their 22, that's a big one to reflect on for sure," said Jones.
The series has also sharpened focus on the Premiership Women's Rugby, where many of Canada's top talents are based. Canada do not have a professional women's domestic league and their players launched a crowd-funding campaign before the last World Cup to cover training camps. Twenty-five Canadian players are contracted for the 2026-27 PWR season, with 11 featuring in July's PWR final between Saracens and Trailfinders, while three Canadian coaches including head coach Kevin Rouet at Saracens are involved in the English domestic game. PWR squads must have a minimum of 13 England-qualified players in a matchday squad, but head coach John Mitchell warned the balance must be protected. "I think it's necessary to make sure that young English girls are getting enough PWR time," Mitchell said. "It's a critical pathway because Sevens is definitely gone. For players aged between 19 and 23, it's critical. We're just going to make sure we don't erode our depth as a result of [overseas involvement]. It's not so much about now. It will be the future that will suffer if we're not smart in that area."
Mitchell has been forced to use England's depth throughout 2026, with Abby Dow and Emily Scarratt retiring after the World Cup, four players absent through pregnancy, and several leading names including Hannah Botterman, Alex Matthews and Amy Cokayne spending time on the sidelines through injury. He has handed out more than half a dozen debuts this year, with hooker Bryony Field impressing during September's home internationals, played Abi Burton and Ellie Kildunne out of position, and brought Liz Crake back into the fold after several years away. Perspective remains — this is only England's third defeat in 74 matches since losing to France and Canada as defending world champions in 2016 — but the back-to-back losses follow Canada's 31-22 win in Ottawa to seal a 2-0 WXV series win and underline the work ahead before the next World Cup cycle.