Top spot in Pool B is up for grabs when Canada and Scotland square off in Exeter on Saturday. It’s the first meeting between the two since 2018. Both teams have already secured their spots in the Quarter Finals, but will be keen to make an impression before the knockout stage begins.
Current World Ranking: 2 (90.13 points)
2025-08-30 – Wales 0, Canada 42 (Manchester)
2025-08-23 – Canada 65, Fiji 7 (York)
2025-08-09 – Ireland 26, Canada 47 (Belfast)
2025-08-01 – Canada 42, USA 10 (Ottawa)
2025-07-12 – South Africa 5, Canada 33 (Port Elizabeth)
Current World Ranking: 6 (77.39 points)
2025-08-30 – Scotland 29, Fiji 15 (Manchester)
2025-08-23 – Scotland 38, Wales 8 (Manchester)
2025-08-02 – Ireland 27, Scotland 21 (Cork)
2025-07-25 – Italy 34, Scotland 29 (Viadana)
2025-04-26 – Scotland 26, Ireland 19 (Edinburgh)
 |
IN | OUT |
| 6 | Fabiola Forteza | Caroline Crossley |
| 14 | Paige Farries | Alysha Corrigan |
|
IN | OUT |
| 2 | Lana Skeldon | Elis Martin |
| 3 | Lisa Cockburn | Elliann Clarke |
- despite their closeness on the world rankings, it’s been seven years since the two sides clashed in test rugby… with Canada getting the edge at Glasgow
- Scotland’s only victory over the Maple Leafs in seven times of asking was their first, back in 1994… since then Canada has outscored the Scots in head-to-head clashes by 182 points to 47
- both teams have made just two changes to their starting lineups from last week’s victories… Canada shut out Wales while Scotland were pushed by Fiji but ill-discipline from the Islanders saw them playing half of the match with only 14 players
- barring a major upset, the winner of the match will face either Australia or the USA in the quarter final… the loser will take on tournament favorites England
- Tyson Beukeboom is set to become Canada’s all-time caps leader… her 81st test will be one more than former men’s captain Aaron Carpenter
- Sandy Park will be familiar surroundings for several Canadian players… Emily Tuttosi, DaLeaka Menin, and Alex Tessier will return to Exeter Chiefs after the tournament… while McKinley Hunt, Olivia DeMerchant, and Taylor Perry have also suited up for the club
Kévin Rouet (Head Coach)
“We have been happy with our first two games but there is still room for improvement before the quarterfinals. Scotland will give us a new challenge this week but our mindset as a team doesn’t change. We must focus on ourselves and continue to build on the past two games and be even better against Scotland. Being prepared and focused on Scotland will make us even stronger come the knockout stages.”
Bryan Easson (Head Coach)
“We’re looking at this game as a huge opportunity to put a mark on this World Cup. We made it very clear at the start we were coming here to compete. We’re into the latter stages, and I believe the performances have shown the progress we are making. It’s going to be a very difficult test, but one that we are very well prepared for.”
Warm but windy conditions are on the forecast. That could make for a tighter game, and both teams have opted for a 6/2 split on the bench. It’s unlikely to alter Canada’s game plan much though, and while the Scots got past Wales and Fiji relatively comfortably they did look vulnerable at times. This will be the stiffest test for the Maple Leafs thus far but there’s little reason to think they won’t emerge as winners by at least a couple scores. Canada are clear favorites in Exeter.
CANADA
1 McKinley Hunt, 2 Emily Tuttosi, 3 DaLeaka Menin, 4 Sophie de Goede, 5 Tyson Beukeboom, 6 Fabiola Forteza, 7 Karen Paquin, 8 Gabrielle Senft, 9 Justine Pelletier, 10 Taylor Perry, 11 Asia Hogan-Rochester, 12 Alex Tessier (capt.), 13 Florence Symonds, 14 Paige Farries, 15 Julia Schell
Replacements: 16 Gillian Boag, 17 Brittany Kassil, 18 Olivia DeMerchant, 19 Laetitia Royer, 20 Courtney O’Donnell, 21 Caroline Crossley, 22 Olivia Apps, 23 Shoshanah Seumanutafa
SCOTLAND
1 Leah Bartlett, 2 Lana Skeldon, 3 Lisa Cockburn, 4 Emma Wassell, 5 Sarah Bonar, 6 Rachel Malcolm (capt.), 7 Rachel McLachlan, 8 Evie Gallagher, 9 Leia Brebner-Holden, 10 Helen Nelson, 11 Francesca McGhie, 12 Lisa Thomson, 13 Emma Orr, 14 Rhona Lloyd, 15 Chloe Rollie
Replacements: 16 Elis Martin, 17 Anne Young, 18 Molly Poolman, 19 Jade Konkel, 20 Eva Donaldson, 21 Alex Stewart, 22 Caity Mattinson, 23 Evie Wills
Date: Saturday, September 6
Venue: Sandy Park, Exeter
Kickoff: 12:00 local (04:00 Pacific, 07:00 Eastern)
Weather Forecast: partly cloudy, 66°F (19°C), wind SE 16-25mph (27-40km/h)
Broadcasts: TSN 1 (Canada), Paramount+ (USA), RugbyPass TV
Referee: Aimee Barrett-Theron (South Africa)
Assistants: Ella Goldsmith (Australia) & Maria Heitor (Portugal)
TMO: Rachel Horton (England)
HEAD-TO-HEAD (7): Canada 6, Scotland 1
2018-11-27 – Scotland 25, Canada 26 (Glasgow)
2010-09-01 – Scotland 0, Canada 41 (Guildford)
2010-08-20 – Scotland 10, Canada 37 (Guildford)
2007-11-04 – Scotland 3, Canada 45 (Glasgow)
2005-07-02 – Canada 22, Scotland 9 (Ottawa)
2002-05-18 – Scotland 0, Canada 11 (Barcelona)
1994-04-23 – Scotland 11, Canada 5 (Boroughmuir)
