Amy Cokayne returns at hooker as England puts its 41-match unbeaten run on the line against Rugby World Cup runners-up Canada in Toronto on Friday. The high-profile matchup kicks off the hosts’ Rugby Rematch Tour in front of an expected crowd exceeding 14,000 spectators.
Cokayne has been absent from Test rugby since May, when she scored the final try in a Grand Slam-sealing victory over France in Bordeaux. Saracens player Bryony Field, who holds three caps compared to Cokayne’s 94, drops to the bench after filling in during the opening half of the WXV Global Series last month.
Canada Aims for Victory on Home Soil After Historic Draw
During the previous campaign phase, Canada snapped England’s nearly four-year winning streak by securing a 26-26 draw at Sandy Park in Exeter. Canada head coach Kevin Rouet has targeted victory over the Red Roses as his squad’s main aim for 2026. The fixture marks Canada’s first appearance on home soil in more than 14 months, with a second match scheduled in Ottawa on Friday, October 23, under the Rugby Rematch Tour banner.
Attendance figures in Toronto are projected to surpass 14,000. That turnout comfortably eclipses the previous benchmark for a standalone women’s rugby match in North America, which stood at 11,453 spectators when Canada defeated the United States in their most recent home fixture.
Red Roses Adjust Lineup for North American Test
England head coach John Mitchell brings prop Hannah Botterman into the starting lineup following her appearance as a replacement in the victory over New Zealand. With Marlie Packer remaining in England because her partner and Red Roses team-mate Rosie Galligan is due to give birth, Abi Burton steps into the back row. Tatyana Heard gets the nod at inside centre over Helena Rowland due to her direct running style.
Sadia Kabeya returns to the matchday squad on the bench after missing the Black Ferns win due to a leg injury. She is joined among the replacements by 20-year-old Bristol Bears player Demelza Short, who provides cover in the second row.
The first Test in Exeter gave us a valuable opportunity to test our game under pressure and identify where we can improve. Playing in Toronto presents a different environment and challenge, and we’re excited by the opportunity to express our game, improve our performance and continue to grow as the Red Roses.
John Mitchell, England head coach
England’s last defeat occurred in November 2022 during the Rugby World Cup final against New Zealand. Friday’s starting lineup features Ellie Kildunne, Jess Breach, Megan Jones, Tatyana Heard, and Katie Moloney-MacDonald in the backline alongside Holly Aitchison’s partner at halfback, with Zoe Harrison and Lucy Packer. The forward pack combines Botterman, Cokayne, and Maud Muir’s replacement in the front row with Sarah Bern, Cath Ives Campion, Abbie Ward’s replacement Maddie Feaunati, and the rest of the selected starters.
