ManitobaFans descended on Maple Grove Rugby Park in south Winnipeg on Saturday for a watch party to cheer on Canada against England in the Women’s Rugby World Cup final.Team Canada fell 33-13 to England in Saturday’s final in LondonCBC News · Posted: Sep 28, 2025 11:45 AM EDT | Last Updated: 1 hour agoCorinne Enns and Val Gompf both played in the 1991 Women’s Rugby World Cup in Wales. They joined rugby players and fans Saturday at Maple Grove Rugby Park to watch Canada take on England in this year’s Women’s Rugby World Cup final in London. (Adam Yadaoui/Radio-Canada)Corinne Enns marvels at how women’s rugby has grown since she represented her country in international competition more than three decades ago. Enns and fellow former international rugby player Val Gompf joined fans at Maple Grove Rugby Park in south Winnipeg on Saturday for a watch party to cheer on Canada against England in the Women’s Rugby World Cup final.Canada lost 33-13 in front of a crowd of 81,885 at London’s Twickenham Stadium, the largest crowd ever recorded for a women’s rugby match.Enns, a former international rugby player for Canada, played in the 1991 Women’s Rugby World Cup in Wales, and said the tournament back then got nowhere near the attention or the attendance it gets now. “I think it was 80,000 people, and it was just so heartwarming to hear,” Enns said. “It was just a pittance of people watching our games back in 1991, so the game has grown.”Despite the Canadian team going down in the final, Enns said the team should be proud of what they achieved this year. “To see Canadian women playing so strong and hard, I’m so proud of them,” she said.Saturday’s loss was Canada’s first in this year’s tournament. They went undefeated before reaching the final, including pulling off what some considered to be a shocking semi-final victory over defending champion New Zealand.The team finished the tournament with five wins and will go home with a silver medal.Gompf, who also played in the 1991 Women’s Rugby World Cup, hopes the attention the Canadian team and the game has been getting in Canada since the tournament started translates to more women and girls watching and playing the game. “It may not be Canadian ice hockey, but it can be just as enduring a sport for all Canadians if they give it a chance,” Gompf said. She added one of the things she loves about the sport is that people of all levels of strengths and athleticism can play, and be accepted onto a team.”It’s for every size, shape and speed,” Gompf said. “It doesn’t matter what your body shape is or if you’re slow or fast, there’s a position for everybody.”Saturday’s victory gave tournament host England its third World Cup title, with the England team also winning titles in 1994 and in 2014.
Manitoba fans cheer on Team Canada in Women’s Rugby World Cup final
