Canada Ravens look to bounce back from Fiji loss when they face Ireland on Sunday

By Canadian Press on October 24, 2025.

TORONTO — The Canada Ravens have to put aside their disappointment at missing out on the 2026 Women’s Rugby League World Cup when they return to action Sunday against Ireland in the third-place game at a four-team qualifying tournament in Brampton, Ont.

No. 16 Fiji, which blanked the 10th-ranked Canadians 48-0 on Tuesday, will face No. 17 Nigeria in Sunday’s final of the International Rugby League (IRL) Women’s Rugby League World Series with the eighth and last berth at next year’s World Cup in Australia and Papua New Guinea on the line.

The Nigerians upset No. 8 Ireland 10-0 in Tuesday’s other semifinal.

A Fijian side boasting eight players from Australia’s elite National Rugby League Women’s Premiership (NRLW) proved to be too strong for Canada, whose lone NRLW player was forward Megan Pakulis.

“They were very good,” Canada coach Matt Barron, a former Welsh international, said of the Fijians.

It was a hard-hitting affair at Terry Fox Stadium, with the Canadian defence putting in a first-half shift. Fiji led 12-0 at the half before taking advantage of the tiring Ravens by scoring 36 points on seven second-half tries.

Six of Fiji’s 10 tries came after the 58-minute mark, with four coming in the last 10 minutes.

“I think you always see the difference between professionals and amateurs at the 60-minute mark. And they kind of pulled away from that point and put up a score that I don’t think really reflects how well we actually played in terms of defence and effort and a little bit on attack,” said Barron, who doubles as coach of the Ontario Ospreys.

Grace Campbell, Alayna Scramstad and Rebecca Kochuk became Ravens No. 67, 68 and 69, respectively, in making their debut against Fiji.

Barron says his players are looking forward to getting back on the pitch.

“We’re in Canada, we still have a home crowd behind us, and we need to send a statement to not only Ireland and the tournament, but also the International Rugby League that we’re a very good rugby league team. We won’t be going to the World Cup, but we’re still here … We want to stake our claim and make sure that we finish on a high.”

The Irish will also be motivated after the upset loss to Nigeria, however.

“They’re going to be a bit of a wounded animal … I think they came in maybe underestimating Nigeria,” said Barron.

The Irish arrived on the eve of the Nigeria game but have now had a week together to train.

“They’re going to be a much more polished team and they’re going to have a point to prove,” said Barron. “So we will have to be very much focused on our game plan.”

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.

The Canadian women made the 2017 and 2021 World Cups, but the qualifying process was more arduous this time.

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.

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 for next year’s World Cup, which also features the men.

Barron says he plans to establish an “elite training squad” ahead of a possible European tour in July to play Scotland and Wales.

The Ravens will start the next qualifying cycle late next year with the Americas Championship. The 2028 World Cup will be a stand-alone women’s tournament

The Canadian lineup includes several professional players.

Pakulis is coming off a season with the NRLW’s Gold Coast Titans, while Lauren Mueller and Channy Crowl play in England for the London Broncos and St. Helens, respectively. Caitlin Sears and Rachel Choboter play for club teams in New Zealand.

Suiting up for the Ravens remains a play-to-play scenario, however, with the players looking after their own travel costs for the Brampton tournament.

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This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 24, 2025

Neil Davidson, The Canadian Press