Canada Beats England to End 41-Game Unbeaten Rugby Run

Canada's women's rugby team beat England 24–21 on Friday night. The win was a huge surprise. England had gone four years and 41 matches without losing a rugby game.

had not lost= did not lose during the period before this game (past perfect)

A record crowd of 18,621 people watched the game in Toronto, Canada. It was the largest crowd for a women’s rugby match in North America. England started strongly and led 14–5 at half-time, but Canada fought back.

fought back= rallied and tried hard to overcome a deficit

In rugby, players score points by carrying the ball across the goal line and touching it to the ground. This score is called a try. Canada scored three tries in the second half. With just two minutes left in the game, Shoshanah Seumanutafa scored the final try to put Canada ahead.

put Canada ahead= gave Canada the lead in the score

The Canadian players and coaches ran onto the pitch to celebrate the historic win. England's head coach said his team will learn from the loss. The two teams will play against each other again next week.

learn from= gain valuable lessons or improve after an experience

Learning Notes

Grammar Patterns

Pattern	Meaning
had not lost	did not lose during the period before this game (past perfect)
fought back	rallied and tried hard to overcome a deficit
put Canada ahead	gave Canada the lead in the score
learn from	gain valuable lessons or improve after an experience

Vocabulary

Word	Meaning
surprise	the astonishment you feel when something totally unexpected happens to you
crowd	a large number of things or people considered together
loss	something that is lost
celebrate	behave as expected during holidays or rites

Language Insights

•In rugby, a "try" is worth five points and is similar to a touchdown in American football, but the player must actually touch the ball to the ground.
•The phrase "fought back" is commonly used in sports journalism to describe a team overcoming a deficit after trailing early in the game.