Canada runs in eight tries in 50-20 rugby win over Springbok women in Pretoria

The Canadian Press

· Posted: Jul 05, 2025 1:43 PM EDT | Last Updated: 6 hours ago

Florence Symonds and Alysha Corrigan scored 2 tries apiece to assistance Canada to a 50-20 triumph implicit South Africa successful women's rugby play Saturday.

Despite the comfy triumph margin, it did not each spell the second-ranked Canadians' way. The 2nd fractional saw the 12th-ranked Springboks people 17 points and Canada suffer respective players to injury.

"I deliberation we enactment successful a large displacement there," said Symonds, named subordinate of the match. "I deliberation we were down to 14 (players) astatine 1 constituent truthful we were thrown that challenge, I'm conscionable truly arrogant of the team."

The 2 teams conscionable again adjacent Saturday astatine Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium successful Gqeberha. The Canadian women volition past person conscionable 2 much outings earlier the Rugby World Cup kicks disconnected Aug. 22 successful England.

DaLeaka Menin, Fancy Bermudez, Laetitia Royer and Caroline Crossley besides scored tries for Canada, which led 26-3 astatine halftime. Julia Schell kicked 5 conversions.

The triumph looked for a portion similar it had travel astatine a outgo when, aboriginal successful the 2nd half, Bermudez was taken disconnected the tract connected a cart aft an evident limb injury. Rugby Canada said aboriginal Bermudez had rejoined the squad aft being medically cleared.

Olivia Apps shifted to the helping successful spot of Bermudez, with Justine Pelletier taking implicit astatine scrum half, earlier she herself hobbled disconnected successful the 60th minute.

Jakkie Cilliers, Byrhandre Dolf and Sizophila Solontsi scored tries for South Africa. Cilliers besides booted a punishment and conversion.

The crippled astatine Loftus Versfeld Stadium, the 51,762-capacity stadium that is location to the Vodacom Bulls, was a curtain-raiser for the men's trial lucifer betwixt the top-ranked Springboks and No. 10 Italy.

Injured South African men's skipper Siya Kolisi delivered the pre-game squad speech to the Springbok women.

It was 17 C successful the early-afternoon sunshine astatine kickoff and Canada started brightly, with Menin powering her mode implicit from adjacent scope successful the sixth infinitesimal to headdress a 12-phase onslaught for a converted try.

The physicality of the Springboks was demonstrated successful the 12th infinitesimal erstwhile Solontsi, a flanker, sent skipper Alex Tessier flying backwards arsenic the Canadian skipper attempted an open-field tackle. Soon aft South Africa showed different broadside of its game, winning a scrum punishment that led to a punishment footwear cutting the pb to 7-3 successful the 14th minute.

An overlap successful the Canadian backline aft a scrum led to a Bermudez effort successful the 17th infinitesimal to up the pb to 12-3. Schell's conversion effort deed the goalpost.

Unforced errors ended respective consequent Canadian attacks portion South Africa conceded a drawstring of penalties. Canada upped its pb to 19-3 successful the 29th infinitesimal erstwhile Bermudez chopped done the Springbok defence earlier feeding Symonds, who outpaced a Springbok chaser for a converted effort — her archetypal for Canada successful 15s play.

Royer scored Canada's 4th effort successful the 34th infinitesimal aft South Africa fell dormant astatine the breakdown. Another Symonds effort successful the 38th infinitesimal was called disconnected upon video reappraisal for a knock-on successful the buildup.

South Africa conceded 8 penalties successful the archetypal half.

Cilliers scored the Springboks' archetypal effort successful the 44th minute, aft Solontsi broke respective tackles to spark the attack. But Canada answered immediately, with Symonds ripping the shot escaped from a Springbok connected the ensuing kickoff and Corrigan getting to the escaped shot archetypal for a effort and a 31-10 lead.

Canada added different Corrigan effort successful the 57th infinitesimal with South Africa answering with tries by Dolfi (62nd minute) and Sizophila Solontsi (69th) to chopped the pb to 38-20.

Symonds scored her 2nd effort successful the 79th infinitesimal and Crossley, a subordinate of the Canadian sevens squad making her 5th 15s appearance, added an intercept effort successful the 80th minute.

Canadian hooker Holly Phillips made her debut disconnected the seat successful the 53rd minute. Tyson Beukeboom, the astir capped Canadian women's rugby player, earned her 75th headdress coming successful astatine the 64-minute mark, portion chap forwards Gillian Boag and McKinley Hunt earned their 30th cap.

Star guardant Sophie de Goede, Canada's skipper erstwhile healthy, was not successful Saturday's matchday squad. Returning from a genu injury, de Goede is expected to spot enactment successful the Springboks rematch.

The crippled was the 5th gathering betwixt the 2 sides and the archetypal connected South Africa soil.

Canada thumped South Africa 66-7 the past clip they met, successful March 2023 successful Madrid. The Canadians besides won successful 3 meetings astatine the Nations Cup: 53-15 successful 2013 successful Colorado and 52-17 and 35-17 successful 2011 and 2009 successful Oakville, Ont.

Up next

After the South Africa tour, Canada plays the ninth-ranked United States connected Aug. 1 successful Ottawa and No. 5 Ireland connected Aug. 9 successful Dublin. The Canadian women unfastened the World Cup successful England against No. 15 Fiji connected Aug. 23 successful York, past look No. 10 Wales connected Aug. 30 successful Manchester and No. 7 Scotland connected Sept. 6 successful Exeter.

South Africa volition play retired of Group D with No. 4 France, No. 8 Italy and No. 28 Brazil.

Canada improved to 13-5-1 since finishing 4th astatine the past World Cup. Four of the losses were to top-ranked England, with the different to No. 3 New Zealand.