Canada Crushes New Zealand and Advances to the Women’s Rugby World Cup Final
In a historic match, Canada defeated New Zealand with a score of 34-19, securing their place in the Women’s Rugby World Cup final.
The Canadian victory, achieved in Bristol, is especially significant, as they eliminated the world champions from the tournament. With this resounding victory, Canada established a new record, surpassing the Black Ferns by 15 points, who suffered their most lopsided defeat in the history of the tournament. Furthermore, this was New Zealand’s first defeat in the World Cup after 18 matches.
Canada demonstrated its superiority from the start, setting the pace of the game. At seven minutes, a high pass surprised the New Zealand defense, allowing Justine Pelletier to score the first try. Three minutes later, Asia Hogan-Rochester extended the lead, leaving the world champions in a complicated situation.In their third try, Canada built solid plays, culminating in Florence Symonds’ score. New Zealand reacted, with Tanya Kalounivale scoring her first try. However, Canada continued to dominate, and Sophie de Goede, after a spectacular assist from Pelletier, scored under the posts, bringing the score to 24-7 at halftime.In the second half, Canada maintained its momentum, with captain Alex Tessier scoring another try. Liana Mikaele-Tu’u scored for New Zealand, but it wasn’t enough to counter the Canadian play. Despite a comeback attempt by New Zealand, with a try by Braxton Sorensen-McGee, Canada held firm. A penalty by De Goede sealed the victory, setting a new record for points conceded by New Zealand in a World Cup match.
Canada will face the winner of the match between England and France in the final to be played at Allianz Stadium Twickenham.
