If fans had been told at the start of the day to predict which Canada international would be the star of the Premiership Women’s Rugby London derby, most would have picked out Sophie de Goede. The versatile world player of the year is in incredible form, after her starring role in Canada’s run to the Rugby World Cup final just over a month ago, but she did not have the chance to live up to those hypothetical expectations as she failed a fitness test a few hours before kick-off.
Such is the Canadian presence at Saracens, though, that another Canuck stood out, with the wing Alysha Corrigan at the heart of the north London club winning 47-10 against Harlequins in this fierce rivalry in front of a record 3,733 spectators.
