Eagles Fall to Canada in World Cup Send-Off

USA Women’s XV Focused on Improvement Ahead of Rugby World Cup Opener

The USA Women’s Eagles concluded their pre-Rugby World Cup preparations with a challenging 42-10 defeat against world #2 Canada in Ottawa. Despite a strong start, the Eagles conceded 28 unanswered points in the second half, highlighting areas for crucial development as they head to England.

Mixed Performance in Final Tune-Up

The Eagles began the match with purpose, scoring within the first two minutes through a powerful drive finished by **Freda Tafuna**. For much of the first half, USA maintained possession and pressured Canada, forcing turnovers and limiting the home side’s ability to organize. A penalty goal from **McKenzie Hawkins** extended their lead before Canada closed the gap just before halftime, taking a slim 14-10 advantage.

“We were really excited coming into the game. We spent three weeks working really hard through the Fiji campaign, and took some big strides forward. The first half showed a lot of that, we were competitive early and built a nice lead, putting ourselves in a good position.”

—Sione Fukofuka, Head Coach

Canada, however, found their rhythm in the second half. A try early in the period, followed by another from replacement **Olivia Demerchant**, shifted the momentum decisively. Canada’s ability to control possession and exploit space on the wings proved too much for the Eagles, who struggled to respond offensively.

Focus on Consistency and Discipline

Head Coach **Sione Fukofuka** acknowledged the team’s early success but stressed the need for greater consistency across both halves. “What we did well we’ll keep reinforcing, and the areas where we came up short in the second half will be about making sure we go back to our process, go back to our execution and allow ourselves to create opportunities to score points,” he stated.

Discipline emerged as a key concern, with the USA committing 20 penalties throughout the match. This lack of composure will be a primary focus in the upcoming training camp.

“We talked about it after the first try and at half time, Canada is a top-two team and we showed them that we can score. They’re able to be beaten, we just have to put a game together. Hats off to our team for scoring in 90 seconds, I’m honestly very proud of them for that. This makes us more battle harden for the England game, which is going to be even louder and more physical, but we can’t wait for it.”

—Kate Zackary, Captain

Looking Ahead to the Rugby World Cup

Despite the loss, the Eagles’ performance showed promising flashes, particularly their aggressive start and early scoring. The team departs for England tomorrow to continue their preparation for the Rugby World Cup 2025. Their tournament opener is scheduled against host nation England on August 22nd at the Stadium of Light in Sunderland. The match is anticipated to draw over 50,000 spectators, providing an electrifying atmosphere for the Eagles’ campaign kickoff.

The USA Women’s Eagles squad for the match against Canada included:

The coaching and support staff accompanying the Eagles to the Rugby World Cup include:

• Head Coach, Attack + Backs: Sione Fukofuka
• Assistant Coach, Defense: Sarah Chobot
• Assistant Coach, Forwards + Attack: Mel Bosman
• Head of Athletic Performance: Charles Dudley
• Analyst: Callum Howells
• Lead Physiotherapist: Alice Mae
• Athletic Trainer: Sam Malette
• Team Doctor: Derek Hatfield
• Performance Psychologist: Scott Goldman
• Team Manager: Alana Gattinger
• Team Services: Aiyana Gilliard
• General Manager, High Performance: Tamara Sheppard
• Media Manager: Jenni Burke

USA Women’s Eagles Rugby World Cup 2025 Match Schedule

• USA v England: August 22 | 2:30 pm ET | Stadium of Light, Sunderland | Paramount+
• USA in Australia: August 30 | 2:30 pm ET | York Community Stadium, York | Paramount+
• USA in Samoa: September 6 | 8:30 am ET | York Community Stadium, York | CBS, Paramount+

Quarterfinals Begin September 13.