On Sunday, Canada claimed the bronze medal by defeating the United States 21-19 in a fiercely contested third place playoff during the world championship series held in Bordeaux, France.
Charity Williams played a pivotal role, scoring twice, while Asia Hogan-Rochester also touched down for a try. Both Hogan-Rochester and Savannah Bauder successfully converted attempts, enabling Canada to fend off a late surge from the U.S. and secure a spot on the podium.
“We feel a great sense of pride,” stated head coach Jocelyn Barrieau. “This team made the decision to bounce back on the third day, which has been a challenge for us this season.”
“It required considerable effort and attention to detail. All credit goes to the players who embraced the final phase of our framing year, positioning us for growth as we anticipate what we refer to as our ‘finishing’ year next season.”
Earlier that day, Canada faced a narrow defeat against New Zealand in the Cup semifinals.
The Canadian team initially surged ahead with a 10-0 lead thanks to tries from Charity Williams and Savannah Bauder. However, New Zealand responded with two tries and a conversion, leading 12-10 at halftime.
Canada regained the lead early in the second half when Williams scored her second try, followed by a conversion from Hogan-Rochester, bringing the score to 17-12.
“After we came off the field, our captain, Florence [Symonds], gathered the team together and said, ‘We will get through this because we support one another and will move forward together,'” Barrieau recounted.
“It was a remarkable display of leadership on her part.”
New Zealand then answered with a converted try, ultimately securing a 19-17 win.
In the final, New Zealand faced Australia, where Australia emerged victorious with a score of 26-19.
Canada concluded pool play with a 2-1 record, achieving victories over Spain (14-12) and Great Britain (35-14), but suffered a 33-22 defeat against the U.S.
The Canadian women’s team, who earned a silver medal at the 2024 Olympics, also finished in fourth place during the first stop in Hong Kong in April. The results from these three events contribute to the determination of the world champions.