On 18 April, Vaughan re-signed with the Raiders on a 2-year contract to the end of the 2015 season. In Round 7 of the 2013 NRL season, Vaughan made his NRL debut for the Canberra Raiders off the interchange bench against the North Queensland Cowboys in the Raiders 30-12 loss at 1300SMILES Stadium. In Round 14 against the Penrith Panthers, Vaughan scored his first NRL career try in the Raiders 24-12 win at Canberra Stadium. Vaughan finished the 2013 NRL season being named as the Raiders Rookie of the Year, playing in 18 matches and scoring a try in his debut year in the NRL. In October, Vaughan was named in the Italy 24-man squad for the 2013 World Cup, playing in all of their three matches.