England went 41 games unbeaten. Canada beat them twice in a week

For years, England's women were the side every other team measured itself against. They went 41 games without a loss. Then Canada beat them twice in a week, and the longest run in women's rugby is over.

A year ago the gap looked enormous. England beat Canada 33-13 in the 2025 World Cup final at Twickenham, and the result felt like the natural order.

How the run ended

The first crack came in Exeter in September. England had won 39 straight Tests when Canada held them to a 26-26 draw. A draw is not a loss, so the unbeaten run survived. It did not survive Toronto.

On 16 October, Canada won 24-21 at BMO Field with a try in the 77th minute, in front of a record home crowd of 18,621. A week later in Ottawa it happened again. Sophie de Goede scored 2 tries and Canada won 31-22.

The subplot

England had not lost two games in a row since 2016. That is the number that matters. One defeat can be a bad night. Two in a week, against the team England beat in the final, says the rest of the world has caught up, or at least Canada has.

England's players were defiant afterwards, telling RugbyPass they still have the best players in the world. They may be right about the talent. The results tell a different story: in the last three meetings, Canada drew, won and won.

What comes next

England play the United States in New Jersey on 30 October. A win there steadies things. Another loss would mean three defeats in a row for a team that had forgotten what losing felt like.

For Canada the question is different. They have now beaten England in front of their own fans, twice. The next step is doing it away from home, where England have been hardest to beat.