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For more than three years, England’s Red Roses just kept winning. Their incredible run reached 39 victories in a row, including a home World Cup title in 2025. On Saturday, Canada became the first team since 2022 to stop England from winning, holding the world champions to a thrilling 26-26 draw at Sandy Park. England’s winning streak may be over, but they remain unbeaten in 40 matches.
Now they have the perfect match to start again. England face New Zealand at Allianz Stadium, Twickenham on 26 September, and there is plenty of history between these two teams. New Zealand were the last side to actually beat England, in the 2022 World Cup final. Since then, the Red Roses have gone on one of the most impressive runs in international rugby.
There is also a famous new face helping England prepare. Shaun Edwards has joined the Red Roses as a consultant for the rest of the WXV Global Series. The 59-year-old has spent years coaching at the highest level with Wales and France, and this is his first role in international women’s rugby. England head coach John Mitchell described his experience as exceptional, while Edwards has spoken about the respect he already has for the Red Roses.
The Canada draw could even prove useful. England were pushed for the full 80 minutes and captain Meg Jones described it as the kind of Test rugby the team wants. Mitchell also called the challenge “ideal for us” because it gives the squad clear areas to work on. Rather than taking anything away from England’s success, having more teams able to challenge them could push the world champions to become even better.
And there should be a big atmosphere waiting for them at Twickenham. More than 50,000 spectators are expected for the New Zealand match, giving the Red Roses another chance to show how much women’s rugby has grown in England.
A 39-match winning streak does not become any less impressive because one match ended in a draw. If anything, England now have something they have not experienced for a very long time: the chance to begin a new winning run. And doing it against the last country that actually beat them would be quite a way to start.
Can a draw like this actually help a dominant team improve, or is maintaining a winning run more valuable?
