Thanks for your vey long reply, but to be brutally frank, I stopped reading at this point. Like many others on here, you have vastly underestimated a rugby stat in an attempt to rubbish the sport. The “evidence” you provided was from 5 August, and doesn’t include any games after then (every one of which was over 7,000 – it also includes two games that were not played in Toronto (one of which was played in London!)

Their home attendance average for 2018 was 7176, which is a bit more than “slightly” out from your 4500 estimate.

Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2018_Toronto_Wolfpack_season%5B/quote%5D
Mutty, if you post a lengthy response debunking all my claims, you will get a lengthier response back. That’s how it works.

Firstly, many thanks for providing that link.

If you add up all 14 games listed as being played at ‘home’ and take the average, it’s 6872. So we’re both wrong. But I’d hardly call it ‘vastly underestimating a rugby stat’.

In a city of 2.7 million, what’s the odd thousand here and there? But I’m sure you’ll cling onto the belief that those extra 1000 -2000 people through the door could be the foothold needed to establish RL in Canada.

As I said in my previous post, I’m no hater of RL and I’m not trying to ‘rubbish’ the sport.

What I am poking fun at however is, the decision to yet again try and implant a rugby league club in an area where there’s no RL history or culture and little-to-no interest, and also, I’m poking fun at the blinkered stubbornness of people like yourself who defend this decision without seeing the ridiculousness of it all.

Leigh were struggling to field a team lat year, and Rugby League in Cumbria is on its arse.

But still, as long as 7,000 ex-pats across the Atlantic have the novelty of watching a team of fellow ex-pats compete in a sport that’ll be seventh fiddle at best to Hockey, Football, American Football, Rugby Union, Basketball and Baseball, well, that’s alright eh?

Admit it. It’s pointless. North Wales, Gateshead, London etc. Silly ideas, but they all pale into insignificance against this monumental whopper.

Can you provide a link as to where that stat come from?

And how long has it taken to get to this stage?

Four clubs play in the MLS – Toronto, Ottowa, Montreal & Vancouver. Again, how many years has it taken to get to this stage?

Again, how many years has it taken to get to this stage?

Your opinion. Why shouldn’t there be Rugby League played in North America? Frankly, with the anti-RL “establishment” in the UK that block any attempts to grow the game, it doesn’t surprise me that the RFL have decided to look elsewhere for expansion.[/quote]

1. Here’s a link for you. So, I may have been slightly out with my estimate – but not by much.

http://www.totalrl.com/forums/index.php?/topic/329883-championship-club-attendances-2018/

There’s no stat regarding the demographic of the crowd it attracts, but an ex-colleague of mine lives in Toronto and goes to the games. According to him (and he has no agenda regarding this) you could easily be at a stadium somewhere in West Yorkshire judging by the accents you hear around you. Look on the forums; they’re inundated with ex-pats living out there. It would be interesting if someone could get some demographic on where the attendees originate from.

2. The Canadian Soccer Association was formed in 1912, and there’s been semi-pro football in Canada since 1960s. Football is now the most popular participation sport in Canada. The fully professional league has failed a few times because of the popularity of hockey and American football, but they’re trying it again – as TV viewing figures for European football are high. But, you can’t doubt the popularity of football in Canada.

3. Your argument is irrelevant. The point is, fully professional Canadian football teams play other fully professional Canadian and ‘local’ US football teams in MLS. Toronto Wolfpack do not even have a rival team on the same continent.

4. Again, irrelevant. Football is, and has been since the early 20th century, a popular sport in Canada: no two ways about it.

5. Give your head a wobble! There’s no anti RL establishment or conspiracy. They don’t show RL as much on TV as RU simply because there’s less demand for it. Look at the comparative attendances for internationals in the two sports and that’ll tell you all you need to know.

For the record, I’m not anti-RL. Far from it. I’m an ex RU player but I also played RL when I was younger, plus my youngest son plays and enjoys RL (as well as RU) and walked out with the Wigan team at the Grand Final.

What I’m anti about however, is the attitude of many RL fans who hate every other sport – like ‘yawnion’ and ‘wendyball’ and who think the world will suddenly wake up one day and realise they’ve been missing out on watching Super League.

If you want to expand a sport, you start from the grassroots and develop it through local club and participation – which eventually leads to a fanbase. You can’t just throw a club like Toronto Wolfpack in and expect it to work, especially when they’ve been neglecting domestic clubs in areas where there is a genuine fanbase.

Defend it all you like. As Egg says, it’s a farce.

So what do you all think about Toronto FC and the other three Canadian football clubs playing in the MLS? It is a 5000 mile round trip to Los Angeles, who they play against. It is as far for Vancouver to travel to Miami as it is for Hunslet or Batley to travel to Toronto.

Or should they wait until the sport is established before they attempt to have a league of their own?

There’s nowt like a Wigan win in a Grand Final to cut a rugby-thread dead is there? ;)[/quote]
At the risk of being a pedant.

1. Toronto’s average attendance for the 2018 season was 4500 – and half of the people who turn up to watch are ex-pats from the north of England.

2. Canada already has its own football league system and will have a fully professional league from next season.

I think you’ve missed the point completely: the difference between the RL and the MLS anomalies is, the Canadian clubs also play teams who are an hour’s flight away as well those that are at the end of a six hour flight – whereas every team that Toronto Wolfpacks play is across the Atlantic and on a different continent!

The Canadian teams in MLS all have 20k+ average attendances, and therefore it suggests there is a football fanbase, and justifies them being in the richest league in North America.

Toronto Wolfpacks on the other hand is another ridiculous attempt to try and popularise in a region where is there’s no tradition and scant fanbase – when they should be consolidating what they already have in UK.

He’s the son of David Weir – ex Everton, Rangers and Scotland captain.

Both parents are Scottish but he’s lived all his life in Cheshire.

While we’re trawling over all threads…..I’ve just found this little gem from way back.

LMB using comments by Owen Coyle to have a pop at Martinez…..

Oh how things changed

http://www.cockneylatic.co.uk/forum/5-cockney-latic-main-forum/2953-owen-coyle-on-sky

Were you by chance the gentleman who commented on my Old Grey Whistle Test t-shirt?

I’m guessing it’s mutually beneficial, and there won’t be a huge financial outlay for the university.

The Uni promote themselves through the club, and in return Wanderers will have unobstructed access to the university’s medical and sports science facilities (which are valued at around £30m) and it’s staff and students.

It’s a decent arrangement for everyone.