The Toronto Wolfpack began life in the second-tier Betfred Championship with a rousing 34-12 comeback win over the Leigh Centurions on Sunday.

Liam Kay scored three tries to lead the Wolfpack, the transatlantic rugby team that earned promotion from the third-tier following a dominant inaugural 2017 season.

Fresh off last season's League 1 title, Toronto makes their Rugby League Championship debut. 2:11:09

Cory Paterson, with his first try as a member of the Wolfpack, gave Toronto a 16-12 lead — its first of the game — early in the second half.

Paterson intercepted a kick and ran it all the way down to the Leigh line for the score. The Wolfpack powered through from there, scoring a total of 34 unanswered points.

WHAT 👏 A 👏 TRY 👏<br><br>Cory Paterson gets the interception and runs it in to give <a href="https://twitter.com/TOwolfpack?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@TOwolfpack</a> the lead... and against his former team.<br><br>WATCH: <a href="https://t.co/ExCDDEX6ox">https://t.co/ExCDDEX6ox</a> <a href="https://t.co/OPQ5PDm75L">pic.twitter.com/OPQ5PDm75L</a> —@cbcsports

Kay scored his second of the match a couple minutes after Paterson and Ryan Brierley added another for a 26-12 Toronto lead.

Kay scored his last try in the dying moments of the match.

The Wolfpack conceded two early tries to go down 12-0 in the first half but tries from Adam Sidlow and Kay cut the deficit to 12-10 at the break.

Adam Sidlow gets the <a href="https://twitter.com/TOwolfpack?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@TOwolfpack</a>'s first try of the season 🔥<br>Liam Kay later followed up with another to tighten the game 12-10 for the Centurions.<br><br>WATCH: <a href="https://t.co/ExCDDEX6ox">https://t.co/ExCDDEX6ox</a> <a href="https://t.co/5SoGBgAyon">pic.twitter.com/5SoGBgAyon</a> —@cbcsports

Plenty of new faces

Toronto had a rocky pre-season punctuated by injuries and the sudden and unexplained departures of star forwards Fuifui Moimoi, Ryan Bailey and Dave Taylor.

Former captain Craig Hall, Steve Crossley, Tom Dempsey, Dan Fleming, Rhys Jacks, Sean Penkywicz and Shaun Pick left the club during the off-season.

Paterson, who previously played for Leigh, is one of several new faces on the Wolfpack. Other newcomers include fellow Australians Jack Buchanan and new captain Josh McCrone, Albanian-born Olsi Krasniqi, Fiji international Ashton Sims and England's Andy Ackers, Tom Armstrong, Adam Higson, Sam Hopkins, Nick Rawsthorne and Joe Westerman.

Toronto continues its season next weekend against the Barrow Raiders.

Beginning of long road trip

The Wolfpack play 14 of their first 15 games in England as their home field, Lamport Stadium, undergoes renovations.

Leigh finished 11th in the Super League last season with a 6-17-0 record and was relegated to the Championship after losing 26-10 to the Catalan Dragon.

Toronto, meanwhile, won promotion from the Kingstone Press League 1 (now the Betfred League 1) by winning the third-tier league with a 20-1-1 record.