BELFAST — Canada’s women’s rugby team secured a 47-26 victory over Ireland on Saturday in their last warm-up match before the Rugby World Cup, which begins later this month in England. Florence Symonds was a standout performer, scoring two tries in the first half as Canada built a strong lead.

The Canadian team, ranked second in the world, dominated the first half, leading 33-7 at one point. However, they faced a tougher challenge in the second half, where they were outscored 19-14 by the fifth-ranked Irish team. With this win, Canada improved its record to 6-0-1 for the year.

The Canadians will take a five-day break before regrouping for the World Cup. They will kick off their tournament against No. 14 Fiji on August 23 in York, followed by matches against No. 9 Wales on August 30 in Manchester and No. 8 Scotland on September 6 in Exeter. "We’re ready," said Fabiola Forteza, the Canadian No. 8 and player of the match.

Ireland, which finished third in this year’s Six Nations with a record of 2-3-0, is in Pool C alongside No. 3 New Zealand, No. 11 Japan, and No. 13 Spain. Canada’s scoring included tries from Justine Pelletier, DaLeaka Menin, Paige Farries, Julia Schell, and Sophie de Goede, who also contributed six conversions.

Forteza noted, "We were expecting physicality from the Irish team and that’s what we got. But we kept on grinding." For Ireland, Anna McGann and Béibhinn Parsons each scored two tries, with Dannah O’Brien adding three conversions.

The match took place at Affidea Stadium, previously known as Kingspan Stadium. Both teams faced disciplinary actions, with players sent to the sin-bin during the first half. Menin received a yellow card for head contact, while Irish hooker Neve Jones was penalized for repeated infractions. Canada capitalized on these opportunities, scoring tries while their opponents were down a player.

Canada lost captain Alex Tessier in the 24th minute due to a head injury assessment. Despite this setback, the team maintained its momentum, improving to a record of 16-5-1 since the last World Cup, with four losses to England and one to New Zealand. The Canadians had previously tied New Zealand 27-27 in May during the Pacific Four Series.

The match began with Canada taking advantage of four consecutive penalties against Ireland. Symonds opened the scoring in the 10th minute, breaking through the Irish defense. Pelletier followed with another try shortly after. Ireland responded with a try from Parsons, but Symonds quickly added her second try, extending Canada’s lead.

As the second half commenced, Ireland showed determination, scoring tries from McGann and Parsons. However, Canada answered back with tries from Schell and de Goede, solidifying their victory. Historically, Canada has a favorable record against Ireland, now standing at 4-1-0. The teams last faced each other in October at the WXV 1 tournament, where Canada won 21-8.

In preparation for the World Cup, Canadian coach Kevin Rouet made three changes to the lineup that defeated the United States 42-10 earlier this month. Meanwhile, Irish coach Scott Bemand made ten changes to his squad following their recent win over Scotland.