Canada, Las Vegas, Australia and now North Yorkshire, rugby league has certainly taken Megan Pakulis to all corners of the earth.
AFTER playing in two World Cups and being chosen in the 2021 team of the tournament, Canada Ravens loose forward Megan Pakulis is ready to take the next step in her rugby league career.
The 27-year-old trainee school teacher recently started playing under highly respected coach Lindsay Anfield, signing for reigning Super League champions York Valkyrie until the end of this season.
“I started playing rugby in high school,” Pakulis, who is of Lithuanian heritage, told Rugby League World
“My brother and sister played in high school growing up so before I was old enough to play, they’d take me to the park and throw the ball around. It meant that by the time I got to play, I had a lot of the basic skills which helped my introduction to the sport.”
Pakulis participates in both codes of rugby which is commonplace in Canada where rugby league is still in development.
“I played rugby league for the Ontario Ospreys which is a club that a few of us (Canada Ravens) belong to. It’s very player led, because we found we had the most success that way. One of the girls the initiated it by starting the club and then a lot of us have been supporting the movement and doing things to help build it. So that’s the rugby league bit and then the rugby union is a completely different split.”
At the urging of team mates and her national coach, Mike Castle, Pakulis took the plunge and entered the NRL combine in the USA earlier this year.
She successfully completed the series of tests and her outstanding results won her a trip down under to Australia with USA athlete Marcaya Baillous (see RLW issue 496). They toured NRL clubs and competed in the women’s national championships, showcasing their skills and putting themselves in the window to pick up a much desired NRLW contract.
Pakulis said her focus on strength and conditioning meant she felt very comfortable undertaking the combine tests.
“I think it was the benchpress in particular that made people have a look at me. I enjoyed the skills, but when we’re all playing rugby at the same level, I feel like everyone’s skills are really equal to each other. Getting the chance to showcase some strengths was a good opportunity to show what I can offer.”
The Canadian forward returned from the trip to Australia impressed with the connection within women’s rugby league and the commitment clubs are dedicating to the female game.
“I think the big difference from Australian rugby league to Canada is just the cohesion, everyone knows their role and what they’re trying to achieve. So the efficiency of playing is much stronger. Sometimes at our clubs in Canada, you can feel all over the place because we’re all trying to figure things out together. So it was nice jumping into a team and only needing to focus on your role because everyone else is going to do theirs. Everything just comes together.
“By the time we went over (to Australia) the clubs had their 24-player squad roster in mind so while there has been some interest (from NRLW clubs), there’s not necessarily any space. That’s my main goal though. I’m going to do what I need to showcase even more and find ways to make it work.”
The push for an NRLW contract has seen her make the journey to the city of York, a move that Pakulis hopes will refine her game and put her in a bigger window for Australian clubs.
“It’s about getting more games under my belt and having a proper season because we don’t quite have that back home. So it will be nice to have games week in week out to prepare me for anything that comes up with the NRLW. If that ends up happening I’m used to it and it’s a smoother transition.
“So far it’s (the move to York) been a lot of fun. The transition from Canadian rugby and UK rugby is very different. It’s nice to be thrown into an environment where you are feeling challenged and focusing on more specific aspects of the game to grow and get better. So I’ve been loving it and the team has overall been really great.
“Lindsay (Anfield) has been absolutely great. She’s the big reason why this all worked out. We’ve been chatting since November. She was super supportive of me going to Australia and whatever came out of that. She’s been constantly checking in and looking for work opportunities for me and making sure I have a place to stay. So all that off the field has been great. And then on the field she really knows how to communicate with the team. She knows what they need to hear and hold us to a high professional standard.”
Anfield revealed to Rugby League World that York had looked to recruit Pakulis early in the season.
She said: “We spent the winter trying to work things out, logistics, visas, and where she was going to stay, etc. Liaising with her in a rugby sense as well. She was due to come over April time, but then she was really successful with the combine in Vegas and went over to Australia and had a great time over there.
“She ended up with us in June and so far she’s brought a lot. She’s obviously an experienced player and the captain of her country so she brings a lot of maturity and leadership qualities. So yeah, we’re really excited to have her in.”
Meanwhile Pakulis, and her Ravens team mates have a fight on their hands to make the 2026 World Cup with a more difficult pathway this time around for Canada after competing in the last two tournaments.
“Last World Cup we already had our spot luckily but this time we will be going through the qualifiers,” Pakulis, who has aspirations to play in four consecutive tournaments, explained.
“Qualification will require a lot of hard work from everyone. It’s doable but it’s not going to be easy.”
First published in Rugby League World magazine, Issue 499 (August 2024)
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