"For anyone who might be thinking champions New Zealand are a shoo-in to make the Rugby World Cup final, Canada have three key attributes to suggest they can knock out the Black Ferns in their semi-final on Friday evening: Belief, fast ruck speed and Sophie de Goede. Canada are the world No 2 side and came close to beating England at the 2024 WXV 1, yet have gone under the radar in the buildup to this tournament and during its early stages,"
"It is something that isn't new for us, we are usually seen as that underdog and not always getting that recognition we think we deserve, says Corrigan. I think that is something that fuels our fire. The self-belief is understandable, stemming from recent results between the semi-final opponents. Canada beat New Zealand for the first time at the 2024 Pacific Four tournament and the last time the two teams met at the 2025 Pac Four they drew 27-27."
"The first time we beat them that pushed us, it gave us a huge boost of confidence, says Canada's captain, Alex Tessier. Drawing against them confirmed where we are at, that we have been growing. We have grown after each game. The first time we beat them that pushed us, it gave us a huge boost of confidence. The Canada captain Alex Tessier says her side have the self-belief to beat New Zealand."
Canada enter the Rugby World Cup semi-final against New Zealand with self-belief, fast ruck speed and the influence of Sophie de Goede. Canada sit as the world No 2 side and have produced recent strong results, including a first-ever win over New Zealand at the 2024 Pacific Four and a 27-27 draw in their 2025 meeting. The team have been treated as underdogs, a status players say fuels them, and captain Alex Tessier highlights growing confidence across matches. New Zealand remain cautious, with Kendra Cocksedge describing Canada as a current bogey team capable of causing problems.
Read at www.theguardian.com
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