By Canadian Press

New Zealand trips Canadian women’s rugby squad 52-21 in Pacific Four Series match

Jul 8, 2023 | 7:03 PM

OTTAWA — Playing in front of the largest crowd in program history, the Canadian women’s rugby 15s team gave the reigning World Cup champions a scare, but the New Zealand Black Ferns prevailed 52-21 in a Pacific Four Series match on Saturday in Ottawa.

Canada kept the score within seven midway through the second half, but powerhouse New Zealand took over late in front of a record 10,092 fans at TD Place.

The Canadians received their tries from Fabiola Forteza, Olivia DeMerchant and captain Sophie de Goede, who added three converts. New Zealand now sits alone at 2-0 in the four-nation round robin series, while No. 4 world-ranked Canada dropped to 1-1 alongside Australia. The United States is at the bottom of the table at 0-2.

It didn’t take long for New Zealand to strike on a hot summer night in the nation’s capital. Katelyn Vahaakolo burst through with a long run to the goal line and Luka Connor finished with the try just over a minute into the match.

Fabiola Forteza nearly answered right back for Canada. She charged down past the goal line but was held up by New Zealand defenders and couldn’t touch the ball down.

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New Zealand slowly but steadily earned its next try by Ruahei Demant in the 14th minute. Amy Du Plessis then picked up a chip shot near midfield en route to another Black Ferns try by Mererangi Paul four minutes later. Renee Holmes converted all three New Zealand tries for a 21-0 lead.

The Canadians held their own for the next dozen minutes and slowly advanced in the New Zealand end. When the Black Ferns got called for a penalty 10 yards from their try line, Canadian captain Sophie de Goede immediately snatched up the ball and charged ahead for a try while absorbing a big hit at the goal line.

The home side struck again within three minutes thanks to some nifty passing for a Fabiola Forteza try. De Goede added her second convert to claw Canada back within seven at 21-14 just before the end of the first half.

Four minutes into the second half, New Zealand’s Sylvia Brunt scored a leisurely try off a two-on-one. The Canadians answered back in the 53rd minute though, inching their way back down for an Olivia DeMerchant try. De Goede made a tough convert to bring Canada back within seven.

New Zealand asserted itself after the restart, passing it down the line for a Paul try. The Black Ferns took control from there, adding tries by Holmes, Du Plessis and Kelsey Teneti.

In an earlier match, Australia hammered the United States 58-17. Australia improved its Pacific Four Series record to 1-1, while the Americans remained winless at 0-2. Former Canadian international player Julianne Zussman served as referee for the match in her hometown.

On April 1 in Madrid, Canada defeated the U.S. 50-17 in the Pacific Four Series opener. With the win, the Canadians already took a big step toward claiming a berth in the top tier of World Rugby’s WXV tournament — a new annual global women’s rugby 15s event similar to world championships in other sports.

The top three teams at the end of the Pacific Four Series round robin qualify for the top WXV tier, while the bottom team will play in Tier 2. The final leg of the Pacific Four Series will take place on Friday, June 14 at TD Place. Canada will face Australia, while New Zealand takes on the U.S.

New Zealand will host the inaugural WXV competition for the world’s top six teams starting on Oct. 21. England, France and Wales have already qualified.

The Canadian women’s under-20 team was also in action to kick off the triple-header at TD Place against the U.S. Canada led 17-14 at halftime, but the Americans pulled ahead in the second half to win 40-24.

Carissa Norsten scored two tries for Canada, while Victoria Stanley and Tia Jordo each had one. Gerry Atkins and Lauren Maye each added a convert.

It was a milestone match for several of the Canadian senior women.

DeMerchant earned her 55th cap, tying Maria Gallo for third all-time among Canadian women. Fellow prop DaLeaka Menin tied Julia Sugawara for seventh place with 46 caps.

Florence Symonds made her international 15s debut on the wing. Fellow Canada sevens player Olivia Apps also earned her first cap off the bench, along with Claire Gallagher, another University of Ottawa Gee-Gees product who got a big roar from the home crowd when she entered in the 51st minute.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published July 8, 2023.

Dan Plouffe, The Canadian Press