After balancing life as a carpenter with reserve-grade rugby league, Zac Lipowicz finally earned his shot at the NRL before seizing the opportunity to continue his career with Catalans Dragons.

TWELVE months ago, Zac Lipowicz was earning a living as a carpenter, spending his days on building sites before driving across western Sydney to Penrith’s training base in pursuit of his dream of becoming a professional rugby league player.

Then, at 23, many would have assumed his chance had passed. However, after making his NRL debut for the Panthers and receiving a call from Catalans Dragons midway through 2025, his career took an unexpected turn as he headed to the south of France to fulfil his ambition of becoming a full-time professional.

Lipowicz’s maiden NRL appearance came against Canterbury Bulldogs in August 2025, and included a spell in the sin bin for a hip drop.

Then Panthers went on to lose that game , but it was an experience that only fuelled Lipowicz’s desire to establish himself at the highest level.

“For the previous two years I’d been playing under-20s. I was working during the day and then I’d go in and train.

“I’d done a couple of NRL pre-seasons over the previous two years and couldn’t quite keep kicking on and stay with the full-time squad. I got sent back to work a couple of times, but I stuck at it, trained with the younger guys and kept playing reserve grade.

“One day on the way home from work I got a call that said, ‘Don’t worry about going to training today, do you want to come train with us for the week?’ That was the Monday and they were playing on the Thursday. I wasn’t going to turn that down.”

His NRL debut came completely out of the blue, but it also gave Lipowicz a glimpse of what the future could hold.

“I didn’t have an idea that I was going to play, but there were a few comments going around that there might be a few players being rested that week. I thought I might get on the bench and play 20 minutes or so and I would have been happy with that, but then I got called up to start – it was awesome.

“I can’t really remember much from the game because it was such a blur, but I got sin-binned, which wasn’t ideal. To come back on and play the remaining time was pretty unreal and I’m so fortunate it happened.”

The debut proved to be the validation Lipowicz had spent years chasing. Having balanced construction work with reserve-grade rugby league, he had shown both Penrith and himself that he belonged at the elite level, even if his next opportunity would ultimately come on the other side of the world.

Canet-en-Roussillon is a world away from the western Sydney suburbs where Lipowicz and his rugby league-playing brother grew up.

“I first got into footy when I was around six. I was playing soccer and something happened with the ball. I got a bit angry and pretty much tackled someone. From that day on, my old man told me I should play rugby league, so I started playing with my mates at Windsor Juniors and I haven’t looked back.”

Drawn to rugby league’s physicality, Lipowicz progressed through the junior ranks before joining Penrith’s system at the age of 16. He represented the Panthers in the Harold Matthews Cup before going on to play more than 50 matches across the club’s representative grades.

It was during his time at Penrith that an opportunity arose to represent Poland. A former Polish international, who had become involved with the national side, discovered Lipowicz qualified through his grandfather and extended an invitation.

“I said that my brother, Reece, and I would come down and play if they wanted, and it went from there.

“It was good fun. That was the first time I’d ever played with Reece. He’s three years older than me, so there was never really a chance growing up, but that was pretty cool. It was a proud moment for me and I’m pretty sure it was for my parents, especially my old man.”

When the call from Perpignan came midway through 2025, Lipowicz jumped at the opportunity to move to Europe and finally become a full-time professional rugby league player.

“When you’re working and someone calls and says there’s a potential contract to be full-time, you’re always going to be happy.

“It seems like I’m in the best part of France – it’s a very, very nice place – although I think the whole of France is, to be honest. Being on the beach is something different. I’m from Penrith and there are no beaches there, so I thought it was a good opportunity to sharpen my tools and apply my trade over here.”

Despite criticism that has occasionally been aimed at Super League, Lipowicz has nothing but praise for the northern hemisphere’s premier competition.

“It’s a good competition over here. Some people might bag it, but it’s still an elite-level competition. It’s an awesome opportunity and I jumped at it straight away.

“It’s been good over here. It’s a different culture to what I’m used to back home in Australia and I’ve really enjoyed it. My partner, Grace, made the move over here with me and, especially when the sun comes out, you can get down to the beach and enjoy it even more.

“I’ve settled in pretty well. All the boys are a great bunch of lads and it’s a great club.”

Only a few months into Lipowicz’s first season, the coach who had recruited him to the Dragons, Joel Tomkins, departed. Assistant coach Ryan Sheridan stepped into the role before John Cartwright was appointed on a full-time basis.

Lipowicz believes Cartwright’s arrival has brought much-needed clarity and confidence to the squad.

“It’s been good since John has been here. Him coming in has given us some clarity about what was going on in the future. When Shez stepped in, we weren’t exactly sure how long he was going to be there. I felt bad for him because he wasn’t dealt the best cards.

“Training was enjoyable throughout, but we weren’t getting the results. I think John has instilled some confidence in the team.

“As an Australian, it’s always good for us to have an Aussie coach. Before he came in, the majority of our coaching staff were English, so to get a couple of Australians in and hear that accent always helps.

“His résumé is something you look at and literally say, ‘Wow.’ He’s done it all. It’s very impressive and you respect everything he’s achieved.”

Looking to the future, Lipowicz believes he can continue building on a promising first season, one that has seen him make 20 appearances and score eight tries at the time of writing. However, he remains grounded and grateful simply to be living the dream he chased for so many years.

“I’m still young and I feel like I have a lot more to give. Being from Australia and growing up looking at the NRL, that’s always been a big goal, but I’m here and I’m really enjoying it.

“Either is a great place to be playing rugby league. I’m fortunate to be where I am and whatever happens down the line, I’ll leave it up to my manager.”

Twelve months ago, Lipowicz was swapping a carpenter’s tools for rugby boots at the end of each working day, simply hoping for an opportunity. Today, he’s living that dream with Catalans Dragons on France’s Mediterranean coast. Whether his journey eventually leads back to the NRL or continues in Super League, one thing is certain: every step has been earned through persistence, patience and an unwavering belief that his chance would come.

First published in Rugby League World magazine, Issue 523 (August 2026)