Stalwart Rapana steps up as Trillo Metals Women’s Canterbury Bulls coach
Women’s rugby league stalwart Tyron Rapana has secured the role of Trillo Metals Women’s Canterbury Bulls head coach for their 2026 NZRL National Women’s Premiership campaign, following two years of impressive progress under the tutelage of Joseph Purcell-Mika.
“Tyron has built an impressive coaching pathway, serving as head coach of the South Island Scorpions 18s Girls team in 2024, followed by the Canterbury Bulls 18s Girls team in 2025,” Canterbury Rugby League CEO Malcolm Humm says.
“CRL believes this experience has prepared him well to step into senior women’s representative rugby league.”
Rapana’s CRL Women’s Premiership journey began with Burnham Chevaliers in 2015, while he steered Linwood Keas’ women’s team to the grand final in 2025 – with a host of representative appointments in between.
“I was part of the [Canterbury women’s team] about 10 years ago as a trainer, but I’ve been coming through with the younger girls who are now all at the women’s age – it’s good to be able to carry that along,” Rapana says.
“Joseph has done an amazing job – a massive thanks to him for his efforts over the last couple of years, not just with the Canterbury Bulls, but anything that he’s had to do with female rugby league. He’s done a phenomenal job.”
In arguably their best performance in recent history, the Trillo Metals Women’s Canterbury Bulls chalked up three wins against Auckland Vulcans, Waikato and Wellington Orcas to claim a richly deserved third-place finish in the 2025 NZRL National Women’s Premiership.
They also produced spirited displays in losses to finalists Counties Manukau Stingray and Akarana Falcons.
With veterans Charntay Poko, Cassie Siataga, Sui Pauaraisa and Bunty Kuruwaka-Crowe providing invaluable leadership, young guns Caitlin Sears and Kyla Lynch-Brown continued to flourish, and rookies Kyra-Lee Westland and Lucy Mahuika starred in their first senior representative foray.
“It’s great to have some young talent coming through but it’s equally important to have some senior players with the experience that they have,” Rapana enthuses.
Rapana is looking forward to adjusting to his role as observer rather than coach during the 2026 CRL Women’s Premiership, keeping tabs on the Trillo Metals Women’s Canterbury Bulls contenders ahead of another exciting campaign against their provincial rivals from the North Island.
“When that all kicks off, I’ll be trying to get to as many games as I can.
“It has been a long time and I’ve learnt a lot over that decade. I’m just privileged, I suppose, to have the ability to pass on that knowledge now and see how far we can take it with the Canterbury Bulls.”
Canterbury Rugby League wishes Tyron the best of luck in the role as Trillo Metals Women’s Canterbury Bulls head coach and congratulates him on the appointment.
