Canada stun New Zealand 34-19 to reach World Cup final
Canada players celebrate their victory following the Women's Rugby World Cup 2025 Semi Final match between New Zealand and Canada
©Photo by Alex Davidson - World Rugby/World Rugby via Getty Images
Canada produced one of the biggest performances in their rugby history, overpowering defending champions New Zealand 34–19 in Bristol to secure a place in the Women’s Rugby World Cup final.
The Canadians combined set-piece dominance with sharp finishing, while Sophie de Goede led from the front with 19 points from a try, three conversions and a penalty.
Canada struck first after just eight minutes. Scrum-half Justine Pelletier sniped through a gap near the ruck to score, and captain Sophie de Goede converted for a 7–0 lead. Three minutes later, Asia Hogan-Rochester finished on the wing to extend the margin, though the conversion went wide.
The Black Ferns were pinned back, and Canada’s relentless forward pressure created another opportunity in the 24th minute when Florence Symonds crossed for a third try, making it 17–0 after another missed kick.
New Zealand finally found a response in the 26th minute, as Tanya Kalounivale forced her way over the line. Renee Holmes added the extras to cut the deficit to 17–7.
But Canada closed the half with authority. De Goede herself crashed over in the 35th minute and converted her own try, restoring a comfortable 24–7 advantage at the break.
The Canadians wasted no time after the restart. In the 43rd minute, Alex Tessier broke through to score, and De Goede’s conversion pushed the lead out to 31–7.
New Zealand needed a spark, and they found one in the 56th minute. Liana Mikaele-Tu’u powered over, and Braxton Sorensen-McGee nailed the conversion in the 57th to narrow the score to 31–14.
Momentum briefly shifted when Sorensen-McGee herself finished a try in the 64th minute, but the conversion attempt missed, leaving Canada still ahead 31–19.
As the match entered its final stages, the Canadians steadied themselves. In the 74th minute, De Goede stepped up once again, calmly slotting a penalty to give her side breathing space at 34–19. From there, Canada’s defence held firm, shutting down New Zealand’s late surges.
