Toronto Wolfpack halfback Ryan Brierley named to Scottish World Cup team

Toronto Wolfpack players practice at Lamport Stadium in Toronto, Wednesday, Sept.6, 2017. (THE CANADIAN PRESS / Neil Davidson)

Toronto Wolfpack halfback Ryan Brierley has been named to Scotland's team for the Rugby League World Cup.

He will join fellow Wolfpack players Liam Kay (Ireland), Ryan Burroughs and Joe Eichner (U.S.) and Ashton Sims (Fiji) at the tournament, which runs Oct. 27 to Dec. 2 in 13 cities across Australia, New Zealand and Papua New Guinea.

Eichner, who spent part of the season with the Wolfpack, was one of the players to emerge out of Toronto's pre-season tryout. Sims is joining the Toronto team next season from England's Warrington Wolves.

There are 14 men's and six women's teams playing in the World Cup.

First held in 1954, the 2017 Rugby League World Cup is the 15th edition of the tournament. Defending champion Australia has lifted the trophy 10 times. Great Britain has won three times (1954, '69, '72) and New Zealand once (2008).

Canada is taking part in the women's competition for the first time. Australia is defending women's champion.

The Wolfpack, rugby's first transatlantic team, will play in the second-tier Championship next year.

"Honoured to be selected in the Scotland Squad for the World Cup in Australia," Brierley wrote in an Instagram post on Wednesday. "Always a pleasure to be involved with this special group of people."