De Goede targets Pacific Four title after Canada's back-to-back wins over England

Canada captain Sophie de Goede has identified back-to-back home wins over England as a turning point for the nation’s women’s programme, and says the squad is now firmly focused on reclaiming the Pacific Four Series title when the tournament arrives in 2027.

The wins, secured on consecutive weekends in Toronto and Ottawa during the WXV Global Series home leg, carried particular weight given Canada’s recent struggles to back up big performances in successive matches. De Goede acknowledged the mental challenge heading into the second fixture.

“After Toronto, the feeling was excitement, happiness and joy,” De Goede told RugbyPass. “It was the whole spectacle of everything, and the fact that we were able to get a result. After Ottawa, it was more relief and exhaustion.”

“There was a lot of pressure on us going into the second game. Historically over the last year we haven’t played well in back-to-back big games. There was a lot riding on that week and there was a lot of work we had to do as a leadership group to make sure everyone was in the right headspace.”

The results carry added significance in the context of Canada’s recent World Cup history. Kévin Rouet’s side stunned New Zealand’s Black Ferns in the semi-final of Women’s Rugby World Cup 2025, before falling 33-13 to England in the final at Allianz Stadium. Beating that same England side twice in a row represents a meaningful step forward.

“We’ve finally got the result we’ve been chasing for a while now, and I think that breeds confidence within the group,” De Goede said. “You leave with a good taste in your mouth. Everyone’s feeling a lot of confidence before we get to PAC4. We’ll be looking to reclaim the title, get a good win against New Zealand to get the year going, and then Australia and the US as well.”

The Pacific Four Series — which pits Canada against the Black Ferns, Wallaroos and USA Women’s Eagles — will arrive roughly six months after Canada’s last competitive outing, making the current momentum all the more important to sustain.

Beyond the 15-a-side game, Canada’s ‘One Squad’ philosophy continues to shape the programme’s depth. Several players move regularly between sevens and XVs, and with Olympic qualification for LA28 now on the horizon through the HSBC SVNS Series, that cross-code pipeline is becoming increasingly relevant. Saracens teammates Olivia Apps and Alysha Corrigan have both benefited from the dual-code approach, while Pamphinette Buisa, Chloe Daniels and Florence Symonds have signed for clubs in the Premiership Women’s Rugby ahead of the new season.