Meli Laddpeter 
Twenty-year-old Maria Paseka says representing Fiji at the Rugby League World Cup is one of the greatest honours of her career.
Paseka currently plays for the St George Illawarra Dragons in Australia’s National Rugby League Women’s (NRLW) competition, where she has made 15 appearances and scored six tries.
Although this will be her first Rugby League World Cup, Paseka is no stranger to the Bulikula, having made her international debut at the IRL World Series in Ottawa, Canada, late last year. She made an immediate impact, scoring a hat-trick against Canada in Fiji’s opening match.
Born and raised in Australia, Paseka says spending the past few weeks in Fiji with the team has allowed her to reconnect with her Fijian heritage and culture, reminding her of the people and values she represents whenever she wears the national jersey.
“It’s quite emotional; this is the first year we’ve made the world cup. It’s an honor to play along with this team and to be part of it just a lot of mixture of emotions that I can’t explain.”
The Fiji Bulikula will open their World Cup campaign against New Zealand on Sunday at 2.50pm, with the match airing live on FBC Sports.
