GQEBERHA, SOUTH AFRICA - After thumping South Africa 50-20 last week in Pretoria, a revamped Canadian lineup had a tougher time getting the job done before pulling away for a 33-5 win over the 12th-ranked Springboks in a women’s rugby international Saturday.
South Africa trailed 14-5 before the second-ranked Canadians, frustrated by handling errors and penalties, padded the scoreline with tries by Carissa Norsten (in the 55th minute), stand-in captain Tyson Beukeboom (74th, with South Africa down a player) and Krissy Scurfield (78th).
The win improved Canada’s record against South Africa to 6-0-0. The Canadians had scored 50 points or more in every meeting except the inaugural encounter in 2009, which they won 35-17.
Canada captain Sophie de Goede, returning to action after a 13-month injury absence, came off the bench with 20 minutes remaining.Â
The 26-year-old from Victoria last played in May 2024, in Canada’s 22-19 win over World Cup champion New Zealand in the Pacific Four Series finale. De Goede tore her anterior cruciate ligament on June 21, 2024, in a non-contact scrimmage against the U.S. on the last day of a Canada sevens camp in Chula Vista, Calif.
Norsten, the 2024 HSBC SVNS Rookie of the Year, was named player of the match in her 15s debut starting on the wing.
Brittany Kassil and Gillian Boag also scored tries for Canada, which led 14-0 after a scrappy first half played in the early-afternoon sunshine at Nelson Mandela Stadium. Julia Schell and Maddy Grant each kicked two conversions.
Ayanda Malinga scored the lone South African try.
For the second week in a row, the women took the field ahead of the men’s match between the top-ranked Springboks and No. 10 Italy. The South African men won 42-24 in Pretoria.
The Canada victory may have come at a cost. Prop Rori Wood was taken off the field on a cart in the 30th minute after suffering an apparent leg injury. That meant a first cap for Taylor McKnight off the bench.
Lock Laetitia Royer, one of three Canadians named to World Rugby’s Women’s 15s Dream Team in 2024, had to come off in the 32nd minute, favouring her shoulder.
Canada moved the ball quickly at the breakdown from the get-go, often creating overlaps in the backline as a result. But a string of penalties slowed the game as the half progressed and Canada lost two players to the sin-bin before the break.
Kassil opened the scoring for Canada in the fifth minute, crashing over from close-range for her first international try in her 46th appearance.
A spate of Canadian penalties drew a warning just 16 minutes in from Zimbabwean referee Precious Pazani. And flanker Pam Buisa was sin-binned two minutes later for head contact in tackling Babalwa Latsha.
Prop Olivia DeMarchant followed her in the 24th minute as Canada, backed up to its try-line after several infractions, was dinged for its seventh penalty of the half.
With Canada still a player down, Boag dove over in the 32nd minute on a quick-tap penalty for a converted try and 14-0 lead.
The two teams combined for 14 penalties, with eight against Canada, in the first 40 minutes.
Helped by several penalties, South Africa scored in the 45th minute with Malinga touching down in the corner to cut the lead to 14-5. Springboks winger Jakkie Cilliers was sin-binned in the 74rd minute for a deliberate knockdown of a pass.
Only Boag, Royer, Schell and No. 8 Gabrielle Senft retained their place in the Canadian starting 15, as coach Kevin Rouet looked to give everyone in the tour roster a run out.
South Africa made two personnel and two positional changes to last week’s team.
With stand-in skipper Alex Tessier not part of the matchday squad, Beukeboom led Canada out for her record 76th cap.
Canada improved to 14-5-1 since finishing fourth at the last World Cup. Four of the losses were to top-ranked England, with the other to No. 3 New Zealand. Canada and New Zealand played to a 27-27 tie in May in Pacific Four Series play.
The Canadian women have just two games left before the World Cup kicks off Aug. 22 in England. Canada plays the ninth-ranked U.S., on Aug. 1 in Ottawa before facing No. 5 Ireland on Aug. 9 in Dublin. The Canadians open World Cup play against No. 15 Fiji on Aug. 23 in York, then face No. 10 Wales on Aug. 30 in Manchester and No. 7 Scotland on Sept. 6 in Exeter.
South Africa, which will play out of Group D with No. 4 France, No. 8 Italy and No. 28 Brazil, hosts No. 3 New Zealand on July 26 July and Aug. 2 in its final tune-ups. Earlier Saturday, New Zealand defeated No. 6 Australia 37-12 in Wellington.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published July 12, 2025.
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