5 hrs
IRL World Series 2025: Canada Ravens name extended squad
NRL 2025 Vegas Combine winner Renee Gonzalez has been named in an extended Ravens squad for October’s inaugural IRL Women’s Rugby League World Series in Brampton.
Canada, who will be under the charge of new coach Matt Barron, host Fiji on October 21 at Terry Fox Stadium in a double-header with the other World Series semi-final between Ireland and Nigeria.
The winners will meet on October 26 to play off for the final women’s berth at IRL Rugby League World Cup 2026, to be staged in Australia and Papua New Guinea next October and November.
Barron, who has stepped up from his role as assistant coach to replace long serving mentor Mike Castle, has named a 33-strong squad headed by Gold Coast Titans forward Megan Pakulis – the first North American to play in the NRLW – and St Helens prop Chantelle Crowl.
Photo: Ravens captain Megan Pakulis is the first North American player in the NRLW.
The squad also includes former Kiwi Ferns great Laura Mariu, who like Crowl (England) has switched international allegiances to represent her Canadian heritage, and three other New Zealand-based players, Caitlin Sears, Savanna Bacchus and Rachel Choboter.
Gonzalez, who has represented Canada in rugby union and sevens, attended the NRL Combine held in Las Vegas in February in the lead up to the quadruple-header at Allegiant Stadium featuring NRL and Super League matches, as well as the Australia-England women’s international.
The 27-year-old was one of two female winners; following in the footsteps of Pakulis, who won the 2024 NRL Vegas Combine and has this season joined the Titans after last year helping York to the Women’s Super League title in England.
“Because the standard is improving and we are actually playing rugby league now, rather than being rugby union players trying to play rugby league, we are attracting former and current Rugby Canada players and rugby sevens players,” Barron said.
“The standard is getting much better because they can see that what we are doing is high level and you are a couple of steps away from playing for Canada.”
Photo: NRL Vegas Combine winner Renee Gonzalez is set to become a dual international.
Gonzalez, who is one of four players from BC Storm in the squad, played for Canada on their recent two-match tour to Fiji, along with fellow rugby union convert Grace Campbell, who also took part in NRL Vegas Combine, as did long serving Ravens star Petra Wood.
“It was another opportunity to see some combinations but also to see some players we have unearthed during the national tournaments, or even some players from the Combine that we have bought in,” Barron said.
“Renee and Grace have both been involved in the Canada Rugby circuit for a while and they are tremendous athletes.”
The Ravens squad includes players from Alberta Broncos, BC Storm, Ontario Ospreys, as well as the Super League, NRLW and New Zealand.
Barron, who made 10 international appearances for Wales - including the 2017 World Cup - before moving to Canada in 2018, believes the World Series will boost awareness and support for the game in Ontario.
“I think the World Series is going to expose rugby league to communities in Toronto and Brampton. We have a Nigerian community, we have a Fijian community and we have Irish as well,” Barron said.
“We are going to be able to show those communities that rugby league is being played on their doorstep and they didn’t even know about it.
“The City of Brampton has been very supportive, the Mayor is getting behind it, they have put new turf down at the stadium to ensure we are playing on a world class surface.”
Photo: Former Wales international Matt Barron has taken over as Ravens coach.
The Ravens are aiming to qualify for their third successive World Cup but the Americas Championship winners face a tough first up assignment against Fiji Bulikula.
“We have certainly gone the long way round in getting there but it is definitely within our capabilities,” Barron said. “We need to play more games to change that in the future but for the World Cup qualifiers, if we have got to go through the best to get there, we are more than happy to do it.”
Canada Ravens (33-player squad)
Maddy Aberg, Jessica Bateman, Grace Campbell, Alanna Fittes, Danielle Franada, Brittany Jones, Rebecca Kochuk, Ale Lewis, Sarah Maguire, Elizabeth Steele (Alberta Broncos) Renee Gonzalez, Gabrielle Hindley, Ada Okonkwo, Alayna Scramstad (BC Storm) Megan Pakulis (Gold Coast Titans) Lauren Mueller (London Broncos) Sara Canini, Jessica Joubarne, Britteny Kassil, Eleta Mitton, Natasha Naismith, Fedelia Omoghan, Candace Kelly Scholten, Beth Hoffstetter, Maddie Hobson, Andie Girard, Tamisha Toussaint, Petra Woods (Ontario Osprey) Savanna Bacchus, Rachel Choboter (Otahuhu Leopards) Chantelle Crowl (St Helens RL) Caitlin Sears (Sydneham Rugby League) Laura Mariu (unattached).
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)
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)
Third-place play-off: Semi-final losers (1pm)
Final: Semi-final winners (3.30pm)