After time Down Under, Pakulis looks to get Canada back to Rugby League World Cup

TORONTO — Megan Pakulis’s road to Canada’s Rugby League World Cup qualifiers in Brampton, Ont., this week has taken her through England and Australia.

The 28-year-old forward from Toronto has blazed a trail along the way, playing for England’s York Valkyrie before joining the Gold Coast Titans earlier this year, becoming the first Canadian to play in Australia’s elite National Rugby League Women’s Premiership (NRLW).

“It’s been all over the place at times, but it’s been really cool,” Pakulis said. “Just accepting the opportunities that have come kind of led me all the way to where I was in the NRLW. I’m grateful for them all. It’s kept life interesting these past couple of years.”

A veteran of two Rugby League World Cups, Pakulis looks to get Canada to a third this week.

The 10th-ranked Canada Ravens play No. 16 Fiji at Terry Fox Stadium on Tuesday with the winner to face either No. 8 Ireland or No. 17 Nigeria next Sunday to determine the final women’s berth at the 2026 Rugby League World Cup in Australia and Papua New Guinea.

No. 1 Australia, No. 2 New Zealand, No. 3 England, No. 4 France, No. 5 Papua New Guinea, No. 6 Wales and No. 12 Samoa have already qualified.

The Ravens advanced to the four-team qualifier by beating the 11th-ranked U.S. Hawks 40-8 in the final of the Americas Women’s Championship last November in Jacksonville, Fla.

Rugby league is the lesser-known rugby code, played 13-a-side instead of rugby union’s 15-a-side. It’s a physical game with powerful forwards and elusive backs each offering their own kind of threat.

It’s also a labour of love for the Canadian women, given representing the Ravens remain a pay-to-play scenario.

Pakulis earned her bachelor of science degree at York University in kinesiology, playing rugby union for the Lions and the Canadian under-20 team.

She turned heads at a National Rugby League combine in Las Vegas in early 2024, one of four participants chosen to train in Australia on an all-expenses-paid trip. She had talks with several Australian teams but when nothing came out of them, she finished out the season with York in England’s Betfred Women’s Super League.

Mike Castle, a former Canada coach who works for the NRL in Australia as its pathways manager while doubling as director of Canada’s national women’s program, connected Pakulis with Gold Coast coach Karyn Murphy, a former Australia captain, after the 2022 World Cup. But the timing wasn’t right, with Murphy looking for domestic talent.

Pakulis reconnected with her when she went to Australia on the combine trip.

In May, a member of the Titans who played in Pakulis’ position took a pregnancy leave and the Canadian found herself heading back Down Under.

“it was really eye-opening … such a neat experience to be part of something so professional,” she said. “I was just grateful to be there and soak it all in and learn as much as I could.”

Pakulis, a prop who has also played as a loose forward, was impressed by the speed of the NRLW as well as the players’ ability to read the game.

Living in Surfers Paradise wasn’t too shabby either.

“It was beautiful. I got so lucky with that,” said Pakulis, who lived five minutes from the beach.

“Every morning was just walk to the beach, grab a coffee. It was the best lifestyle.”

The Titans finished sixth in the 12-team NRLW at 5-5-1, with Pakulis seeing action in four games.

“Not as many as anyone would like to play. You’d always hope to get as many as you can but (I’m) still grateful. It’s my first year. I’m still building and growing, learning. So I understand there’s a process to it all.”

The women often played as part of a doubleheader with the Titans men’s NRL side.

Pakulis, who also played a game for the Tweed Seagulls, Gold Coast’s reserve team, is waiting to find out whether Gold Coast picks up her contract option.

“If it works out, that’s exciting. I’m looking forward to going back. But if it doesn’t work out, I’d like to still play in the NRLW … And if the NRLW doesn’t work out, I know that there’s opportunities still in (England’s) Super League, which could be exciting as well.”

Her NRLW duties kept Pakulis out of Canada’s August tour to Fiji which saw the Ravens lose 30-8 to the Fiji Rise academy and 34-12 to the Bula Kuli Residents.

The Fiji tour was the first for new Canada coach Matt Baron, a former assistant coach under Castle and head coach of the Ontario Ospreys.

Canada Ravens

Ada Okonkwo, B.C. Storm; Alanna Fittes, Alberta Broncos; Alayna Scramstad, B.C. Storm; Bethany Hofstetter, Ontario Ospreys; Caitlin Sears, Sydenham Swans (New Zealand); Candace Scholten, Ontario Ospreys; Channy Crowl, St. Helens RFC (England); Dani Franada, Alberta Broncos; Elete Mitton, Ontario Ospreys; Gabrielle Hindley, B.C. Storm; Grace Campbell, Alberta Broncos; Lauren Mueller, London Broncos (England); Maddie Hobson, Ontario Ospreys; Maddy Aberg, Alberta Broncos; Megan Pakulis, Gold Coast Titans (Australia); Petra Woods, Ontario Ospreys; Rachel Choboter, Otahuha Leopards (New Zealand); Rebecca Kochuk, Alberta Broncos; Sarah Maguire, Alberta Broncos; Tash Naismith, Ontario Ospreys.

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This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 19, 2025