" hi love Wakey have drawn Toronto Wolfpack away in the challege cup see you when I get back " !!!!!!!

Must have big pockets flying teams to Canada for home games, does that include supporters?

Brilliant idea but surely the expense will be untenable

What a joke really its bad enough propping up the French game but Canada its rediculous

I think Catalan add plenty to SL and it's a great trip over there.
Canada is pushing thins a bit but, IF this is the catalyst to growing the sport, it's well, well, worth it.

Unless there is a Canadian TV channel that can link up with Sky just like Catalan Dragons and their set up.

Applaud the concept but I can't get my head round how it will work. As others have said, how on earth will teams afford to travel and will they fly to England every 2 weeks

So they will play games in blocks of 4, between Canada and a base in the UK. The guy financing it is paying travel costs for the clubs who go and play there.

Gonna have blocks of 4 or 5 home games followed by 4 or 5 away games where they will be based in Bradford. The Canadians will play for the teams that fly to Canada

I don't think there has been anything more stupid in RL.

right so the league structure in terms of home and away games will alter because of this poxy doomed experiment

We won't be "propping up" anything in Canada, they're funding everything themselves so I'm not sure why you're objecting so much?

Whilst I think it is a really good idea to spread the game, I dont really think this will work

We have tried in London for 35 years and we are only just starting to see the benefits and during this time we have seen other new clubs born and then died.

Catalans made it but would they still be here if they weren't immune from relegation having finished bottom I think for their first two years. I'm not sure they would be.

I'm the past 4 years we have seen 4 New clubs emerge and think before another project emerges the RFL should be looking at the heartlands and the grassroots of the sport whilst helping them new clubs to develop.

One way they could spread the interest internationally would be to look at the international fixtures. We should see a return of Test Series against Aussies and Kiwis whilst at the same time change the 4 nations to the emerging nations and increase the number of entries. Maybe do it over 2 divisions of 8-10 clubs with an incentive of teams going up/down a tier

Think this will have a knock on effect with games. Jet lag will play a part, when the English team returns from Canada their performance in their next game will be reduced.

That makes sense and will hopefully get some positive media attention. Good luck to them.

Why would a Test Series between England and Australia spread interest to Canada more than having their own club side to follow throughout the year?

And just 3/4 weeks of international fixtures for their national side against other emerging nations and then nothing for another 12 months isn't going to cut it either.

I think it's worth a try. Once the ice hockey finishes, there's not much else to do sports-wise. There's a baseball team, but it's not particularly well-supported. I went to see the Red Sox play there and it was more than half-empty, and the Red Sox are a team who attract crowds. I've seen the Red Sox at a few grounds and they're normally full. And their fondness for ice hockey shows that they are fond of a game that is, firstly, not American, and secondly filled with ebb and flow and a bit of biff.

And before you knock Toronto, it's a grand night out, and roasting in summer.

For quite a while I've thought that North America would really take to RL if it could ever really get going over there. Just looking at their love of American Football I just think RL would be a sport they'd take to more naturally that football (soccer) which has had a hard slog over there to win over people.

It's main problem is that sport is very much about a habit, often influenced by family. How many of us have got into rugby league on the basis that "it looks interesting". Most of us, I can bet, got into it through being taken by family members. It's a generational thing. That's why it hasn't taken off in London, because people have other habits. It's why it worked in Catalan, because people watched league anyway round there, and the Dragons themselves are a merger of two pre-existing teams (I seem to recall).

The advantage it might have over London is that it may not get the same TV coverage we get. For instance, the fans of league in the south have become so because of watching league on TV, and probably have their own pet northern teams. It doesn't mean they'll traipse along to the stoop, because their appetite is wetted by the top northern teams. In Toronto, the only team they might see is Toronto, which might help.

Yes maybe with Rugby League you or others got into by being taken to games but how many on here like multiple sports? I would imagine most do yet were you taken to see these sports at a young age? Never taken to a cricket game when young but become a fan of it? Never been to a Grand Prix but follow the F1? Never attended an American Football match but enjoy watching it? Never played golf as a kid but tune in for the Majors and Ryder Cup?

London didn't work but that's because it was badly run club. The way North American sports clubs are run compared to our English RL clubs are a million miles apart.

What next? an NRL / Super League double up? It just seems a bit barmy to me, well financed or not to have a Canadian team in our league structure.

Iif you read my post I said we are propping up thr French game the Canadian mullarky is a joke.
Si the travel is financed until the backer gets fed up Canada is too far. As for the French game Catalans seem to sign who they want for what they want. For example Carney couldnt get a visa to play in a UK club but he can for France, level playing field no way.

Just a thought really, but is it possible that this club could be based in this country.

The big advantage for this and the main reason that it has a chance to work is that, they will market the game really well.
Toronto is a great where they have already managed to get crowds over 7000 to watch a game that they no nothing about.
With Noble and Rowley on board, they have every chance of getting the set up something like and then its down to recruitment.
The one thing I'm unsure about is any salary cap restrictions in League 1, which makes putting a squad of players together interesting, to say the least.

The concept of having a team based in Toronto in itself is slightly mad but, IF this is the first step in spreading RL into North America then, it's an exciting prospect.

The stupid thing to do would be to accept that the M62 is the limits of our great game.

This has a much stronger feel of Aukland Warriors/Catalans franchise than a Gateshead or Crusaders. The backer is clearly very rich, has a passion and knowledge of rugby league and has the backing of a sports mad City with the Mayor turning up to the press conference who spoke highly of the opportunity.

Spectator sports in Summer in Canada are limited, there is a big Union presence domestically but nothing to offer elite comp with a rugby ball. I would not be shocked to see them start averaging 6k crowds fairly quickly.

They have emphasised it is a long term project, they have a reality show following their scouting in North America and have signed some good players, they will probably win the comp in the first season and gain promotion, which should greatly assist the fanbase.

Good luck to them, great idea and I hope and think they will succeed.