Canada women's national rugby union team facts for kids
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| Nicknames | Canucks Maple Leafs |
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| Union | Rugby Canada | ||
| Head coach | Kévin Rouet | ||
| Captain | Alex Tessier | ||
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| World Rugby ranking | |||
| Current | 2 (as of 2 October 2025) | ||
| Highest | 2 (2016, 2024–) | ||
| First international | |||
 Canada 3–22 United States  (Victoria, British Columbia, Canada; 14 November 1987) |
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| Biggest win | |||
Canada 98–0 Hong Kong  (Dublin, Ireland; 9 August 2017) |
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| Biggest defeat | |||
Canada 3–88 New Zealand  (Edmonton, Canada; 8 September 1996) |
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| World Cup | |||
| Appearances | 9 (First in 1991) | ||
| Best result | Runners-up (2014, 2025) | ||
| Website | rugby.ca/en Rugby Canada | ||
The Canada women's national rugby union team represents Canada in international rugby union matches. The team is run by Rugby Canada, which manages rugby union in Canada. The players wear red and white uniforms and are often called the Canucks or the Maple Leafs. They are known around the world as one of the strongest teams in women's rugby.
Contents
History of the Canadian Team
The Canadian women's rugby program started growing rapidly during the 1980s. The team played its very first official game in November 1987 in Victoria, British Columbia. In that historic match, Canada played against their neighbours, the United States. This was an exciting milestone because it was the first women's international test match held outside of Europe.
In 1991, Canada traveled across the ocean to play in the very first Women's Rugby World Cup held in Wales. The players performed extremely well against tough opponents. They earned fifth place in the tournament after beating the Spain team by a score of 19–4 in the Plate final. Since that first tournament, Canada has qualified and played in every single World Cup tournament.
The Canadian team reached the big final match at the 2014 Rugby World Cup. During the early pool stages, Canada played to an exciting 13–13 tie against the England squad. Both teams battled their way through the tournament brackets to meet again in the championship game. Canada lost that final contest 21–9, proudly taking home the silver trophy as tournament runners-up.
Canada continued their strong tradition in later international tournaments. At the 2021 Rugby World Cup tournament held in New Zealand, the team played great games and reached the final four. They ended up in fourth place after a hard-fought match against France. Years later, at the 2025 Women's Rugby World Cup, the team repeated their historic success by making the championship game to become world runners-up once again.
Famous Players and Major Awards
Many fantastic athletes have played for Canada over the years. One of the most famous players in Canadian sports history is Heather Moyse. In 2016, she became the first Canadian woman inducted into the famous World Rugby Hall of Fame. She was an incredible multisport athlete who played rugby, raced bicycles, and won two gold medals at the Winter Olympics in bobsleigh. She played 22 times for Canada in 15-a-side rugby and competed in two Women's Rugby World Cups. She also helped Canada take second place at the 2013 Rugby World Cup Sevens tournament held in Russia.
Canadian players have also received major recognition at the prestigious annual World Rugby Awards. Speedy star winger Magali Harvey won the World Rugby 15s Player of the Year award in 2014, while teammate Kelly Russell was also nominated. Top Canadian forward Sophie de Goede was nominated in 2022 and later won the top world player award in 2025. Standout playmaker Alex Tessier was also nominated for the award in 2024.
Several Canadian stars have been selected for the prestigious World Rugby 15s Dream Team of the Year, which honours the best players across the globe:
- Flanker Karen Paquin earned a spot in the 2021 Dream Team.
- Talented hooker Emily Tuttosi was selected in 2022 and again in 2025.
- Loose forward Sophie de Goede was chosen three times, in 2022, 2024, and 2025.
- Strong forward Laetitia Royer was chosen in 2024.
- Skilled back Alex Tessier made the worldwide lineup in 2024.
- Scrum-half Justine Pelletier joined the top world team in 2025.
International Competitions and Trophies
Canada has collected several championship titles and medals in international rugby competitions over the decades:
- Women's Rugby World Cup: Runners-up in 2014 and 2025.
- WXV 1: Runners-up in the top global division during the 2023 season.
- Pacific Four Series: Champions in the 2021 and 2024 tournaments, and runners-up in 2022, 2023, and 2025.
- Women's Super Series: Champions in 2016.
- Women's Nations Cup: Champions in 2013, and runners-up in 2008 and 2011.
Huge Fan Crowds
Rugby has become very popular with sports fans across Canada. Thousands of cheering fans come out to watch the women's national team play in modern outdoor stadiums.
The largest home crowd ever to watch the team gathered at TD Place Stadium in the capital city of Ottawa. On that day in August 2025, an incredible 11,453 fans packed the stands to see Canada play against their rivals, the United States. The second largest crowd took place at the very same stadium in July 2023, when 10,092 supporters cheered on Canada against the famous New Zealand team.
See also
In Spanish: Selección femenina de rugby de Canadá para niños
