Zimmer frame rugby

Aye..

I think I'm correct in saying that Toronto does not have a professional Rugby Union team.
Like them or lump them, Toronto Wolfpack have hit every mark for their first season.
- won league
- gained promotion
- unbeaten at home
- average crowd 7209
- huge numbers on social media
I agree the heartland clubs deserve our respect and more backing from the RFL/Sky for the good of the game in the future but I really hope Eric Perez sticks around and produces on the second Canadian Rugby League team promise. Vancouver strikes me as a great place to try it out Eric

I don't doubt you Atomic, which is why I say that the RFL/Sky has to step up the backing of heartland clubs. That is where most of the future players will come from. However a huge untapped future pool is available in Canada/North America. Just watch one College Football (American Football) game and see the atheletes on display (and the size of the crowds, 42,000 average). Start showing some of the atheletes of the future that Rugby League is a viable professional venture for them and they may just start to come over at an early age. Long term vision that will need years I know, but very possible if Eric Perez's dreams become reality.
For now I hope that the RFL makes sure that the Toronto venture doesn't take a single penny away from the smaller UK clubs. I hope they succeed but not at the expense of any current U.K. Team.

I'm not sure how this venture will pan out. I only know the pool of players is running out. With another expansion club added to that, only adds more pressure to the game.. You can have as many teams as you want,but the player pool is another thing.

Our squad does not have many spring chickens in it

I agree with the comments re: the reducing pool of quality players. Tony Smith has been scathing about the state of the English game and rightly so.

Being honest how many top quality matches have there been throughout this season - the game with 5 drives and a kick is mediocre at best.

Teams such as Wigan adopting bullying tactics and the RFL simply trying to copy Australia in everything including rule changes have led to the boring arm wrestle.

Thankfully Castleford have bucked the trend and played fast attractive rugby - until the rest of Super League including us get back to playing an expansive game - the game will be in decline in the heartlands - never mind expanding in North America

Look no further than the management of Super League who invest nothing of the Sky money in grass routes rugby and the individual teams within who import players from abroad rather than taking a chance on players from the lower leagues with very few exceptions. Perez on the other hand has introduced the game to the youth of Canada and seems to be willing to invest his money in the long term development players in that country.

Well he hasn't done that. Toronto are a completely seperate entity to Canada RL. Thats where the youth is along with the ladies RL which has been established some 7 years. Again the investment is a consortium,not Perez on his own.

But I agree with your point about Sky,although to put bums on seats requires household names,and a SL club can't survive on chance.

''Canada Rugby League was formed in February 2010 by Eric Perez with a vision to bring Rugby League to the people of Canada. The organization was founded to redevelop organized Rugby League in Canada'' [Wikipedia]

As a result Rugby League is played in High Schools in certain regions of Canada and senior teams established playing in regional leagues. A result of this is Quinn Ngawati who earned a contract with Toronto Wolfpack after playing the game in British Columbia.

But this is a new one on me can anybody enlighten me Wikipedia states Scarborough Centurians Rugby League Club a team in Canada formed a partnership with Leigh Centurians from England in 2011.

Yes,but the redevelopment plans changed when Toronto Wolfpack was born.They have no connection to Canada RL. Which is suppose to be the governing body of Canadian RL. Toronto currenlty fall under the RFL. Not CRL..

What are "redevelopment plans"?


They're not directly connected, but it's not exactly the truth saying that there's [ino[/i connection. Take this weekend, a Wolfpack & Canadian National team double header at Lamport. Whilst they don't govern" the Wolfpack, both organisations are certainly working together for mutual benefit, and both untimately fall under the RLEF.

All this talk of attracting NFL players to play RL and RL becoming popular in North America is a vision from Mr Perez and, his wallet!. In the sixties there was a guy called Mike Mayer? in America, and he too had this vision although, he had no Wallet He spent years trying to get the game played in America without success, of course, he never had a team that was entered in the RFL so there is a difference.
If transatlantic Club sport is viable and interesting, why have the American football (soccer) teams not entered the Football League? Many people in the UK enjoy watching American Football (NFL) on TV so why has no entrepreneur
come forward to promote that game? I'm sure Miami Dolphins wouldn't mind standing down to admit the 'Pennington Perch' or the 'Plank Lane Sticklebacks' ?