Tyson Beukeboom retires after record 84 caps for Canada

Tyson Beukeboom, the most-capped player in Canadian rugby history, announced her retirement Friday after 13 years with the national women’s team.

The 35-year-old from Uxbridge, Ont., finishes with 84 international caps, the most of any Canadian player, male or female, according to The Canadian Press report.

“I didn’t want rugby to push me out; I wanted to choose when my time was up,” Beukeboom said.

She made her debut against England in July 2013 and played in four Rugby World Cups. Canada reached the final in 2014 and again in September 2025, when it lost 33-13 to England in what turned out to be her last appearance. We covered her climb to the record in our preview of the 2025 tournament, and the road to that final.

Beukeboom also helped Canada win the 2024 Pacific Four Series. Her club career included stops with Cowichan RFC, the Aurora Barbarians and Ealing Trailfinders in England. Her father, Jeff Beukeboom, was an NHL defenceman who won four Stanley Cups.

Canada head coach Kevin Rouet praised her style of play, describing her as “violent on defence, but smart on offence.”

Beukeboom said she is happy to be done with the physical side of the sport. “I’m also so happy to not hit anyone, or get hit ever again,” she said.

She said she expects her own story to fade but not that of her teammates. “People will forget my story, specifically, but I don’t think anyone’s going to forget our team,” Beukeboom said.

Canada plays England in a home series that includes a match Oct. 23 at TD Place in Ottawa.

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Via The Canadian Press.