Canada overwhelmed the Springbok women’s rugby team 50-20 in Pretoria but the South Africans gained some valuable experience and showed real fighting spirit in the 2nd half. The Canadian women are ranked second in world rugby and provided an ideal yardstick for the Springboks as they prepare for the world cup in England later this year. Canada completely dominated the opening half and led 26-3 at halftime. The Springboks were more competitive in the second half and scored three tries boosting their confidence in their world cup preparations. In other rugby news, the New Zealand men’s side opened their international rugby campaign at home in Dunedin with a narrow 31-27 victory over an inexperienced French side. The British and Irish Lions also recorded a scrappy 21-10 tour match victory against the Waratahs in Sydney Australia, two weeks ahead of the first test against Australia. VIDEO | Rugby | Wins for Boks, Lions and All Blacks