“We expect Canada to come out firing”

Another win in the bag and a match without tests from the strikers… something unheard of for the Red Roses!

It was a fast and physical game with some quality rugby. You could hear the snaps of the tackles as well as the heavy breathing from both sides who gave it their all.

My role this week was different coming off the bench. The previous weeks we had the challenge to come off the bench and make an impact. It’s about bringing new energy and fresh legs and finishing the game strong.

‘This Energy Never Stops’: The Women’s Rugby World Cup is a year away

Exactly one year to go until the England 2025 Women’s Rugby World Cup kicks off
in Sunderland, excitement runs through the host nation in anticipation of what
it will be the biggest and most accessible celebration of women’s rugby ever.

Register now for advance ticket sales

‘This Energy Never Stops’: The Women’s Rugby World Cup is a year away

Exactly one year to go until the England 2025 Women’s Rugby World Cup kicks off
in Sunderland, excitement runs through the host nation in anticipation of what
it will be the biggest and most accessible celebration of women’s rugby ever.

Register now for advance ticket sales

We are very happy with our performance. As always there are things to work on, but we managed to put almost 50 points on the world champions, so we have to be proud of that. Before we leave the ground we usually get together with the coaches in the dressing room and do a few special shout outs and a song.

It’s usually a team song that Mo made up at WXV last year, but for some reason, someone started singing Jar of Hearts and suddenly we were all singing a sad song in unison. It was the weirdest moment but something we will smile about and not forget for a long time!

On our day off, I headed up to Grouse Mountain to see grizzly bears, as it was the only activity I hadn’t completed on my list for this tour. The bears were amazing – the size of their paws and claws were bigger than I expected.

They were walking around the grounds eating carrots, playing in the water and then sleeping, if only life were that simple! Sometimes you wish they weren’t up on that mountain in an enclosure, but the story behind why they’re there and how it’s helped orphaned bear cubs ever since is fascinating.

With a six-day shift, our week looks slightly different with a hybrid session consisting of both our physical day and our fasting day. This is to ensure that we reach our optimum performance level on Saturday and have had enough time to recover physically and mentally.

Canada Women’s

Women of England

From an outside perspective, I can imagine that some people might think that we could be underprepared by only training once, but we rely on the systems we have and the knowledge of our staff. It’s been a long tour and we know exactly how we want Saturday to go, so we’re all very focused on that.

Let’s hope Canada comes out firing. Having a tournament at home is special and their previous results have put them in a good position for this game. They are an athletic team and have grown as a team in recent years.

They have an influx of returning sevens players as well as many players now representing the PWR league in England that we know very well. It will be interesting to see how they want to play against us… will they try to bully through midfield or feel they can take advantage.

The only way to find out is by tuning into BBC iPlayer on Saturday from 3am!