ChoboMog

Given how limited the promotion has been, beyond a bit of social media in the past week or so, I'd be surprised if the team gets much of a turnout. Maybe, a few hundred or a thousand at most. Every bum in a seat is a plus. The Wolfpack is directly competing with TFC, with the same kickoff time, which one assumes would hurt attendance for the rugby league. However, given the season they have been having, many fans of both sports (my group included) will opt for footy over soccer. The TFC attendance for last week's loss was "official" 7k (stadium holds 30k), but my guess from the seats was ~5k; basically a season 1 attendance for OG Wolfpack... That said, the fact that some of the local breweries have jumped back on board gives me confidence that numbers might be OK, and if this evening is treated as an exhibition/proof-of-concept then next year could be crackin', once again.

Rosters were posted, on the Toronto Wolfpack Facebook page. I've also included it in the game page/poll I've just created in the General forum, and in-line below:

Apologies to @John Drake for me shamelessly borrowing the standard fixture thread formatting (or perhaps kudos to him for the inspiration, assuming everyone is OK with some positivity ); but a game is a game! This one is particularly exciting for those of us across the Pond who have been missing live, in-person professional rugby league; and for those excited about a re-born Wolfpack, and North American Rugby League (NARL) in 2022. Didn’t seem fair to keep any discussion relegated to a single thread in the International forum. The game will not be televised; but the team has indicated that it will be uploaded to YouTube after the fact. I think I speak for all when saying that the players from the OG Wolfpack will be sorely missed. You were the heart and soul of the team. How things ended (including how you were treated) should never have happened. Please, remember: You made this possible; you laid the groundwork for this NA Rugby League renaissance, and for future generations of players and fans. Looking forward to being back at Lamport, and seeing some old friends, once again!

It's not every day that the current NBA Champions are tweeting about Rugby League, let alone publicly supporting a team in the RFL/SuperLeague. I'll admit that this is just a tweet. However, I think this is a good example of how deep the support for the Toronto Wolfpack runs, in the city, and how much an impact the team has had in it's relatively short existence. It also shows, even in this small gesture, the potential which exists for RL should the team continue to exist and allow the sport to break into the North American consciousness and sporting market. It's details like this, and (gasp!) positivity, which are far too often missed when fans like us are bickering over largely irrelevant details, arguing in circles over 300+ pages, and frequently unable to see past our own bubbles and preconceived notions. Voting the Toronto Wolfpack back into Super League is a win for the game, and a long term positive for all involved in Rugby League. Even those stung by David Argyle's failings seem to get this. Voting to effectively kill the team, even if it were to mean a bit more money in the remaining teams' coffers next year, does nothing more than nip growth and expansion in the bud, and to ensure the status quo (including all the frustrations we have with declining interest etc relative to other major sports) will continue.

That is somewhat reassuring. Ralf Rimmer has seen, first hand, the success of the team, the game day experience, and the growth and excitement in a massive, new, untapped market. He was able to see the 10000+ fans, he's heard the roar of the crowd, he knows they're not just cardboard cut-outs, and he's been on hand to see the Mayor, City Councillors, news cameras, massive lines for merchandise and food/drink etc. Fingers crossed that his seemingly extremely positive personal experience will rub off on others who share a seat at the decision making table.

It's not so much that the team's "lost all their funding"... Instead, there has been a combination of factors: The TWP has been denied any central funding, received by other teams; The TWP has been denied the opportunity to negotiate it's own TV deal thanks to our beloved Sky Sports selling off the North American TV rights for next to nothing; The TWP has been denied the ability to furlough, during the Covid-19 shut down, and denied any/all government support from both the U.K. and Canadian governments, due to the team's dual national existence; The TWP saw several top players unable to extend work visas, leaving them unable to stay in the U.K. and leaving the team simply uncompetitive until resolved; The TWP was denied any/all financial assistance from the league, when requested as a loan; and Covid-19 left the team unable to earn any revenue from gate/ticket sales. It's one thing to expect further funding from a wealthy benefactor. It's another thing entirely to combine all of the above and expect that pockets the investors' pockets are bottomless. There is not a single team in the Super League which would survive this combination of challenges. To expect an expansion team, in a fledgling (even if quickly developing) market, to do so is, simply, asinine. The SL and RFL need to show some flexibility, and some business sense in developing new markets; but, perhaps, that is too much to ask.

It's important to note the other reasons stated, and the context of restrictions placed on the Toronto Wolfpack to date, all of which combined to create and exacerbate the current situation: No central funding, thanks to Sky Sports TV money, which remains available to all other SL clubs despite games being played behind closed doors; No ability to generate TV revenue from negotiating Canada/U.S. broadcast rights as Sky Sports had already sold these on, for a pittance, years ago; No government support and no ability to furlough due to the combined Canada-U.K. existence of the of the club making them eligible for assistance in neither country; U.K. work-visa limitations making several top players ineligible to remain in the U.K., for the restarted season, and likely making the team uncompetitive (I am not familiar with all the details, on this one, but i know it was an issue at least as recently as last week); and, finally, No revenue from tickets sold. The other teams in Super League were only affected by point #5, leaving them much better positioned to survive the Covid-19 crisis which we still find ourselves in. That's not so say it's easy for the other SL teams; but it does explain the unique set of circumstances the Toronto Wolfpack has been facing, this year. I will remain hopeful that cooler heads will prevail, that funding will be found (whether from new investors or through the fan-owned, non-profit organization model being mused), and that the Toronto Wolfpack will live on to play another day. Fingers crossed.

When it comes to Sky Sports money, for the 2020 season, I don't see any reason why withdrawal of the Toronto Wolfpack will have any effect whatsoever. The team was never provided a share of the central funding and TV money, anyway. The real question is what effect Toronto's withdrawal, from the 2020 season, will have on the RFL/SL's attempts to negotiate a new TV deal following this season. Regardless of one's views on the team, love 'em or hate 'em, the Toronto Wolfpack do provide significant added value for the RFL/SL's product, to Sky Sports or whoever might be interested in the rights, given: the increased interest; their global reach; and their demonstration of the expansion possibility into new untapped markets. Without this, the RFL/SL's leverage in negotiating any new deal, and the value of the product offered to any potential broadcaster/sponsor, is lessened along with the potential £££/$$$ for the league, the teams, and the game in the Northern Hemisphere.

I would love to voice my opinions, to the powers that be in the Rugby Football League (RFL) and the Super League (SL), about the current situation the Toronto Wolfpack finds themself in; and be vocal in support of the team in such an unprecedented time. Unfortunately, neither official website seem to list contacts for the leagues themselves. Only generic "e-inquiries", "ticketing" etc seem to be available. Is anyone aware of, and able to provide, publicly available contact e-mail address information for the Rugby Football League and/or Super League, in order for fans to speak directly with the organizations? This can be posted here, or in a Private Message if that's preferred. I am not looking to raise a stink. Instead, I would like to reach out, directly, as an example of the type of fan the RFL/SL is likely to lose should they not support the team, through such a challenge, and especially so should punitive action be brought against the team

It would have been nice for this to be announced prior to the e-mails, over the past week, indicating re-start and fixture dates. That said, when you consider the context of zero central funding, covering visiting teams' costs, TV deal not being open for re-negotiation until after this/next season (thank you, Sky Soports for having already sold the Canadian rights to Sportsnet), zero gates' ticket sales, and a global pandemic affecting international travel (even the Toronto Blue Jays will not play in the city, this season), then it's not really surprising that a team would withdraw from a season. I just hope that the RFL, and those here who have done nothing but berate the team and its efforts for years, will be able to see past individual biases and push for the team being able to re-start along with SL in 2020. To say that the current situation is unprecedented would be an understatement. To hope that the TWP (and other teams who are struggling) will continue, and succeed, should be our shared goal and is in our collective best interests. I will be putting my money where my mouth is, and rolling over my family's season ticket memberships to 2021. Hopefully, this will not be in vain.

The miracle tweet was already hinted at in yesterday's announcement of the Toronto Wolfpack season opener official viewing party, at Northern Maverick, this Sunday : ???

I've e-mailed Sportsnet Now, requesting info on Super League rugby games, and they have indicated that the following will be available, this week: Wigan vs. Warrington -— Thursday, 2:30pm St. Helens vs. Salford -— Friday, 2:00pm Toronto vs. Castleford -— Sunday, 9:00am Leeds vs. Hull FC -— Sunday, 11:30am That said, the current schedule grid only lists the Thursday and Friday games, putting their coverage of Toronto Wolfpack games into question. It will also require the very expensive SN Now+ package. So, you're looking at $27.99+tax per month ($20.83+tax per month, when billed annually), or a full $9.99+tax per week if you wanna test it out. That's pretty steep, considering it's merely a Sky Sports feed, since there is no guarantee every game will even be broadcast, and since I have little use for the SN Now+ service otherwise... It also feels like a kick in the teeth that the team likely won't see a penny, given that Sportsnet purchased the rights from Sky with TWP apparently still not receiving central funding from the TV deal. I'm seriously tempted to find an alternate means of watching the game, and using the money saved to purchase additional merch/jerseys/beer/tickets as at least some of that money will trickle down to the team.