Canada will host the Red Roses of England in a rematch of the 2025 Women’s Rugby World Cup Final at Toronto’s BMO Field in October, as part of the WXV Global Series and ‘The Rugby Rematch Tour’.
The fixture will kick off Canada’s domestic leg of the new WXV Global Series. It’s been 15 years since Canada last played in the Greater Toronto area. In 2011, the North Americas took on England in Oakville at the Nations Cup. A second match of the ‘Rugby Rematch Tour’ will be announced soon.
The month before, England will host Canada at Exeter’s Sandy Park. John Mitchell’s side will also face Australia’s Wallaroos and the Black Ferns of New Zealand.
” A fierce appetite”
The test will provide home supporters an opportunity to see their World Cup stars back on home soil, and taking on the reigning champions.
Nathan Bombrys, CEO of Rugby Canada, said “Last fall, 3.7 million Canadians tuned in to support Canada’s Women’s Rugby Team’s World Cup run. There’s a fierce appetite amongst Canadians to support our world-class rugby team, and we’re pleased to bring this match against the reigning world champions to Toronto.
“With many of our players having roots in the GTA, we are also looking forward to connecting with the rugby community during our stay and inspiring the next generation of rugby players in the region. We are grateful to Canadian Tire for choosing to support Rugby Canada and The Rugby Rematch Tour.
“We would also like to thank the department of Economic Development and Culture at the City of Toronto, Province of Ontario, and Maple Leaf Sports and Entertainment Ltd (MLSE) for their support in making this event possible.”
WXV Global Series
World Rugby launched the WXV Global Series in September last year, to harness the strength of women’s rugby, and to provide a pathway to Women’s Rugby World Cup 2029. It sees the top 18 teams in the world in a new format delivering increased meaningful competition and commercial sustainability in the women’s game.
The top 12 teams will compete in a home-and-away cross regional touring model within a newly aligned September-October international window. The top 12 include England, Canada, Australia and New Zealand. Teams ranked 13-18 will play their fixtures in a single destination in 2026 and 2028, to be funded by World Rugby. These six teams are Brazil, Fiji, Hong Kong China, Netherlands, Samoa and Spain.
