No. 2 Canada and No. 1 England have named unchanged lineups for Saturday’s heavyweight clash in the final of the Women’s Rugby World Cup.
Canada’s matchday 23 goes into the match with a combined 894 caps including 346 off the bench. England’s roster totals 862 caps, including 349 among the replacements.
Canada advanced to the final by dispatching No. 3 New Zealand 34-19 while England downed No. 4 France 35-17.
“Every week the coaches are faced with such a hard decision as we believe that all 32 players we have in the squad are amazing rugby players and have a positive impact on the game,” Canada coach Kevin Rouet said in a statement. “We decided to be consistent after a performance we were really happy with against New Zealand, but it will take all the players we have with us to help us win a World Cup.”
The Red Roses have won 32 straight since losing 34-31 to host New Zealand in the final of the last World Cup at Eden Park in November 2022 (the tournament was originally slated for 2021 but was delayed due to the pandemic). That loss snapped a 30-game win streak.
Fourteen of the English matchday squad played in that 2022 final.
Canada has lost the last 13 meetings with England since a 52-17 win in July 2016 and is 3-33-1 all-time against the Red Roses. But Canada has pushed England in recent games and led 12-7 in the second half the last time they met, at the WXV 1 tournament in Vancouver in October, before the Red Roses scored two late tries to win 21-12.
Canada is unbeaten in 12 matches (11-0-1) since that loss, with a 27-27 draw with New Zealand in May in Christchurch the only blemish on that record.
“They’ve been outstanding, played really great rugby. We respect them hugely,” said England coach John Mitchell, a 61-year-old New Zealander who led the All Blacks to third place at the 2003 World Cup (thumping the Canadian men 68-6 on the way).
“It’s going to take a better performance (to beat them),” he added. “They deserve to be in the final.”
Canada lost to England in its only other trip to the World Cup final, beaten 21-9 in 2014. The Canadians have finished fourth on four occasions (1998, 2002, 2006 and 2021).
England is in its seventh straight final and ninth overall, having finished runner-up six times (beaten by the U.S. in 1991 and by New Zealand in 2002, 2006, 2010, 2017 and 2021). The Red Roses also won in 1994, defeating the U.S.
Saturday’s championship game is expected to shatter the previous record attendance for a women’s rugby test — 58,498 for England’s Six Nations match against France in April 2023 at Twickenham.
New Zealand faces France in the third-place game earlier Saturday.
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