Swiss army woman. That’s the best way to describe the versatile and formidable Sophie de Goede, who is at the heart of Canada’s attempt to upset England in the Rugby World Cup final. Eleven years ago, she was in the stands at the Stade Jean-Bouin in Paris as Canada lost the final to England. Then 20,000 were there but now 82,000 fans await to see if De Goede and Canada can avenge that 2014 result.
A goal-kicker, try-scorer and breakdown menace, the 26-year-old is one of the main cogs in the Canadian machine. Of course Kévin Rouet’s side have other stars, such as the captain, Alex Tessier, and the scrum-half Justine Pelletier, who was unstoppable in their semi-final win against the defending champions, New Zealand, and they allow De Goede the freedom to fly. But she remains the heartbeat and is the one England must stop if they are to lift the trophy at Twickenham .
