England's 39-Test streak ends in 26-26 Canada draw — SkimNews
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- England drew 26-26 with Canada at Sandy Park in Exeter, ending a 39-Test winning streak in a WXV Global Series clash decided on the final play with the clock in the red, eight days short of the one-year anniversary of their 33-13 Rugby World Cup final win
- The match produced eight tries across both halves, with first-half doubles from England wing Claudia Moloney-MacDonald and Canada prop Daleaka Menin plus scores from Hannah Botterman and Lizzie Gibson leaving the sides locked 19-19 at the break
- Bryony Field's second Test try looked to set up a trademark England surge, but Canada scrum-half Olivia Apps struck back and the Canucks kicked the final play dead to avoid defeat on English soil for the first time
- England head coach John Mitchell called the result "ideal," saying "we are in a Test series" and "we need to get better," framing the draw as preparation rather than a setback
- Canada's Daleaka Menin, named Player of the Match, said "we really wanted to prove something here. This is just the start of this journey," with two more England Tests to come
- England host New Zealand at Allianz Stadium on September 26 before travelling to Toronto (October 16) and Ottawa (October 23) for back-to-back Tests against Canada, who face France next week
Why it matters: England now play New Zealand at Twickenham before two October Tests in Canada (Toronto, Ottawa) — Mitchell explicitly framed the draw as "ideal" preparation rather than a setback, suggesting the Red Roses valued the competitive test over preserving the 39-match unbeaten record, with the real series still ahead.
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