Canada to warm up for World Series with Fiji tour

Canada will use a tour to Fiji in August to prepare for the inaugural IRL Women’s World Series in Brampton as the Ravens aim to qualify for a third consecutive World Cup.

The Ravens play the Bulikula in a World Series semi-final at Terry Fox Stadium on October 21, with the winner to face the victor of the other semi-final between Ireland and Nigeria to determine the final women’s berth at RLWC2026.

However, the two nations will meet before then, with Canada travelling to Fiji to play the Fiijian Rise Rookie Academy on August 27 and a Bulikula Residents team on August 30.

“It will be a good chance for potential World Series athletes to showcase and test the waters against some local Fijian sides,” Ravens centre Petra Woods said.

“We are just trying to get as many high level games, training sessions and tours before the World Series and the World Cup.” 

Fiji have a number of stars in the NRLW, including captain Talei Holmes, dual international Cassie Staples and exciting playmaker Losana Lutu, while Canadian captain Megan Pakulis debuted this season for Gold Coast Titans.

Neither team will include NRLW or Super League players.

“We have been watching the NRLW and some of their international matches as well,” Woods said.

“It will be challenging but what we have done is actually set up a tour to Fiji so that we can play against some local teams and get comfortable with their style of play.

“They play not only with flair, but physicality and they have great running lines, as do a lot of the NRLW teams. It will be a challenge for us but we feel really comfortable with that, which is a great sense of accomplishment.”

Canada is hosting the inaugural World Series with the support of the City of Brampton, and Woods said the tournament - in her home town - was a chance to showcase women’s rugby league to new fans.

Since the Ravens debuted at the 2017 World Cup, the game has continued to grow and there is now a bigger pool of talent for coach Mike Castle to choose from.

“In Ontario, we have grown just this summer to a three-team domestic competition and just last month we hosted our nationals, so we have been able to have a larger selection pool, which is something we didn’t have in the lead up to previous World Cups,” said Woods, who made her international debut in 2022.

“We have got domestic leagues, provincial and then our nationals tournament that we host annually.

“We are growing, which is great, and we have had the best turnout in 2025 that we have seen for rugby league in Canada.

“We recently launched junior programs, mostly for boys, but hopefully by hosting the Women’s World Series it will kickstart more interest for girls.

“We have a large rugby union community but to be able to showcase rugby league at a higher level with the World Series will definitely draw in new athletes or crossover athletes from other sports, like the NRL’s Vegas Combine did.”

Woods entered the 2024 and 2025 NRL Combines in Las Vegas and has an ambition to follow Pakulis to the NRLW or Women’s Super League in England.  

Pakulis won the 2024 Vegas Combine and after travelling to Australia to play and tour NRLW clubs she spent a season in England, helping York to win the grand final, before being signed by the Titans this year.

After making her debut in the Round 2 match against the Broncos, Pakulis is generating interest in Canada and inspiring others to consider the NRLW as a realistic goal.

Photo: Canada's Megan Pakulis is the first North American to play in the NRLW (Getty Images)

“It would be awesome to have her new knowledge from the NRLW and her experience to continue leading our program in the right direction.

“Because Megan is really connected with a lot of clubs and provincial teams and has been scouted nationally, everyone is following her journey whether they are rugby fans or not.

“It gives a lot of us hope too, that it is possible for us. To see Megan thrive and fit in so nicely in the NRLW competition it means that we are doing something right in Canada.”

IRL Women's World Series 2025

Venue: Terry Fox Stadium, Brampton, Ontario

Tuesday, October 21
Semi-final: Ireland v Nigeria (3.30pm)
Semi-final: Canada v Fiji (6pm)

Sunday, October 26
Third-place play-off: Semi-final losers (1pm)
Final: Semi-final winners (3.30pm)