IRL World Series 2025: Study trip inspires Sears' Ravens journey

When Caitlin Sears moved from Canada to New Zealand to study a Master of Health Science degree, she never imagined she would be returning home to play for the Ravens in October’s IRL Women’s Rugby League World Series 2025.

In fact, Sears didn’t even know what rugby league was before arriving in Christchurch, where she joined a rugby union team to meet friends and was convinced by her new team-mates to give league a go.

Not only did she immediately fall in love with the game, but Sears was soon playing representative rugby league for Canterbury and the then Ravens coach, Mike Castle, was tipped that there was a talented Canadian player in the South Island.

“I just kind of took to it and I really enjoyed it, I really liked the team, and I enjoyed the culture,” Sears said.

“I had never even heard of rugby league, my background was in soccer and basketball growing up. I kind of sporadically picked up rugby and played at uni, and then I came to New Zealand two-and-a-bit years ago to play rugby and go to uni.

“A lot of the girls play rugby on Saturday and league on Sunday, so they convinced me to give it a go and I just loved it. League was kind of a mix between sevens and 15s, and it was just so cool.”

The Ravens play Fiji in their opening match of the World Series at Terry Fox Stadium on October 21, with the winner to play the victor of the Ireland-Nigeria clash on October 26 for the final women’s berth at the 2026 Rugby League World Cup in Australia and Papua New Guinea.

Sears made her international debut at hooker in last November’s America’s RLWC26 qualifying match against the United States and hopes to follow Canadian co-captain Megan Pakulis to the NRLW after taking part in the recent Harvey Norman Rising Talent Invitational in Newcastle.

“Meg’s story is quite cool because she went to the NRLW Combine in Vegas and then took a different opportunity to go to England and play, and really just develop her game, and then had this opportunity presented with the Gold Coast Titans and took it upon herself to come over and make that big change,” Sears said.

“For her to break through and kind of crack that ice to become the first one from North America to play in the NRLW is just an incredible feat.

“She's a person that just works and works relentlessly, and takes advantage of those opportunities, which is pretty cool. She has shown that it can be done, and I think that's just going to inspire the generation that's coming through back home as well.

“It's huge, just for the game in general for Canadians and North Americans.”

With the Ravens having played in the past two World Cups in Australia in 2017 and England in 2022, the game is growing in Canada and there are now women’s teams in Alberta, British Columbia and Ontario.

However, Sears acknowledges that Fiji, whose squad includes 12 players from NRLW clubs, will be a step up to previous opponents for many of the Ravens players,

“To go back to Canada to play in the World Series is going to be really cool and I think it will be a really good competition,” she said.

“Having a run at Fiji will be different, I think, to anyone that I've played against and that the girls back home have played against.

“League back home is definitely growing, it's getting a lot more traction, but it’s still got a long way to go.

“I think getting these really good Test matches against Fiji, and then if we get to play the likes of Ireland or Nigeria, that'll be a big talent test for us and good prep for the World Cup if we can win that.

“To get to the World Cup would be amazing, and I think the girls are now starting to search out opportunities to play league outside of Canada, so we’ve got like a couple of girls playing in England in a really strong league there, and then Meg's already in the NRLW.”

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 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)

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