Toronto Wolfpack will play their first game on Saturday (17 December) with a match at Brighouse. Rangers.
The home club, which currently fields two teams in the Pennine League, will host Toronto during the Canadian outfit’s month-long stays in the UK in next season’s debut season in Kingstone Press League 1, and will blood several of their most promising young talents in the game.
The Wolfpack, meanwhile, are using the fixture as part of their squad-building process. The match has been described as a “day of destiny” for their final 20 trialists, who hail from as far afield as Canada, the USA and Jamaica and who, as related in Adam Fogerty’s docu-series Last Tackle, are vying for the last five spots in Toronto’s 2017 squad.
Brighouse are laying on a day of Canadian-based family fun and are expecting their biggest crowd for many years at Russell Way Ground.
The Wolfpack’s Director of Rugby, Brian Noble, and Head Coach Paul Rowley, will make presentations to Rangers’ junior players and Noble said: “There will be a lot of talent on show. These guys are hungry and have made huge sacrifices to get to the trials. Some of them have had difficult upbringings, but Rugby League can take them out of a circle of violence and give them a new focus.
“We often talk about developing new talent opportunities globally. Looking at the high quality of all the guys who will be playing, I’m sure that fans will appreciate their skills and their fantastic physical and athletic attributes.”
Brighouse Chairman Paul Sweeney added: “The day is going to be a great family occasion for all our members and for the community of Brighouse.
“We are opening our doors to the whole town to support this fantastic event.
“Although the Wolfpack’s players have been training here for a few weeks now, we feel it would be great if the community could welcome our international visitors to the town in what will be a huge test for them all as they pursue their Rugby League dream.”
He continued: “We are also greatly looking forward to seeing some of our most promising youngsters pitting their wits against these guys. We are really proud, at Brighouse, of how we nurture young talent, and that talent will be on show for all to see in a game we are all really looking forward to.
“This will be an exciting time for all at the club. We will be entering the Yorkshire Men’s summer league in 2017, supported by the Wolfpack, and any promising youngsters are always welcome at the club.”
Saturday’s game kicks off at 1.30pm
