England’s women’s rugby team, the Red Roses, saw their remarkable 39-match winning streak come to an end in a 26-26 draw against Canada at Exeter’s Sandy Park on Saturday. The two sides met in the first of three autumn Tests, revisiting the matchup from last year’s Rugby World Cup final.

Since suffering a defeat in the 2022 World Cup final, the Red Roses had remained unbeaten, extending their run to 40 matches including draws. However, Canada delivered a resilient performance to prevent England from securing a victory on home soil for the first time. This result marks Canada’s first draw against England in England and serves as an encouraging sign ahead of their next two Tests scheduled in Toronto and Ottawa next month.

The contest was marked by a high tempo and fierce competitiveness, with both teams registering four tries apiece. England twice recovered from behind in the opening 25 minutes after Lizzie Gibson and player of the match DaLeaka Menin put Canada ahead. England’s Claudia Moloney-MacDonald and Hannah Botterman responded, with Moloney-MacDonald going on to score a second try that briefly gave England the lead. Menin soon equalized before halftime, leaving the score tied at 19-19.

The second half continued in a closely fought fashion. Bryony Field scored to put England back in front, but Olivia Apps responded for Canada with a try under the posts. Despite mounting pressure from the Red Roses in the final stages, Canada held on to secure the draw.

England captain Meg Jones reflected on the match, emphasizing the desire for challenging, competitive rugby. “It was amazing Test-match rugby, which is what we want. We want a battle and for it to be competitive,” she said. Jones acknowledged areas for improvement, noting that discipline and execution in the last moments let the team down, but highlighted the opportunity to regroup in their upcoming fixtures.

Canada’s DaLeaka Menin described the encounter as a significant test and expressed some fatigue but satisfaction with the team’s effort. “We didn’t get exactly what we wanted, but it was a great game of rugby,” she said. “We really wanted to prove something here. This is just the start of this journey.”

Following this result, Canada will continue their series with England on home ground, while the Red Roses are set for another key fixture against New Zealand at Twickenham next week. Both teams will look to build on Saturday’s closely contested match as the autumn international season progresses.