Olivia Apps backs Canada to beat England in Toronto Test series
Olivia Apps says Canada can secure a landmark victory over England when the two sides meet in Toronto on Friday in the first of two Tests on Canadian soil.
Apps, Canada's starting scrum-half, singled out the draw at Sandy Park in Exeter — a 26-26 stalemate — as evidence that Canada can trouble England, recalling a smirk she shared with Saracens teammates Zoe Harrison, Jess Breach and Marlie Packer during that game. She described the final play, when she was positioned on the wing before full-back Claire Gallagher kicked the ball into touch to take the draw, and said: "It was the right call, but when the message came on [from coach Kevin Rouet] I had to ask three times, because I thought there was no way." Rather than celebrating being the first team to avoid defeat against England in nearly four years, Apps said the squad left Exeter disappointed.
The Toronto Test is the opener of a two-match series, with the teams meeting again seven days later in Ottawa; these are Canada's first home internationals since a Rugby World Cup warm-up match in August 2025 and more than 15,000 fans are expected at BMO Field. The fixtures have been promoted as the Rugby Rematch Tour — a reference to Canada’s defeat by England in the Rugby World Cup final a year ago — and Rouet has pursued a reversal of that outcome throughout 2026.
On confidence and squad composition, Apps said: "Being a different squad from the World Cup allows us to have more of a belief in our ability to beat England," adding: "We've been together for five weeks, we have home advantage, mentally we feel really confident. There is definitely more of an expectation now. Overall, I think we'd be really, really disappointed in ourselves if we couldn't get a victory this weekend."
Canada's preparation and profile have shifted since the World Cup: the team ran a crowdfunding campaign ahead of the last tournament and, following their campaign, the Canadian government announced a new 755m Canadian dollars (£401m) funding package for sport in May. Apps linked the World Cup run to that funding, saying: "I think our showing at the World Cup was like a big final push to get that from the government. We've yet to see what that it means specifically for rugby, but we've heard really positive things."
A behind-the-scenes documentary about Canada's World Cup campaign, All Heart, has been released and, Apps said, in conjunction with the two Tests it "should boost Apps and others' profiles." On England's media work she added: "England has done a phenomenal job of that. The way they tell the story of their athletes and how their athletes get so much space and opportunity to showcase who they are and their brand, alongside rugby. It's amazing to see where female rugby athletes can go." The first Test will be shown on BBC platforms: "Saturday 17 October, 00:00 BST Live on the BBC iPlayer, BBC Sport website and app."
Apps outlined her club progress at Saracens, saying she initially signed as short-term injury cover last October, has been in "sensational form," played a key role in the north London side's first PWR title in four years and was named the top flight's player of the season; a new three-year contract extension was announced this week. Saracens invited Sue Schilling, the chief executive of UK Alopecia, to record a congratulatory message for Apps, who was diagnosed with the condition aged seven.
She said the security of her Saracens contract clarifies her route to major events, noting it "means she knows her path to the Los Angeles Olympics, where she and Canada will defend the silver medals they won in Paris, and the next Rugby World Cup in Australia in 2029." Apps is joined at Saracens by compatriots Sophie de Goede, Alysha Corrigan and Julia Omokhuale, and she said the group has found the highest level of women's club rugby in London despite small cultural adjustments such as sourcing pumpkin puree and maple syrup. "There is such a strong pool of experience that it does just feel very stimulating and challenging," Apps said. "Saracens has an environment with a winning culture which really drives performance and competition. It's something which I really enjoy."
Come the final whistle on Friday, England will hope not to see the smile from Apps which would mean the demise of their long unbeaten run.