Toronto v Halifax venue

[Leyther_Matt]

Toronto v Halifax fixture not taking place in Canada

Nothing on the Toronto website yet but it's presumably due to the pitch works not being completed in time. Will be interesting to see if it affects any of the other games, but now that's only 9 regular season games scheduled to take place in Toronto?

[Dave T]

I think they need to be very careful next year. Reducing the number of games over there, and the way they are staging them, week after week is a bit of a risk. I really hope they don't undo much of the good work from this year.

[DoubleD]

Haven't they already sold season tickets for next year? Can see them losing goodwill of locals at this rate.........

[Dave T]

4 minutes ago, DoubleD said:

Haven't they already sold season tickets for next year? Can see them losing goodwill of locals at this rate.........

They have sold them based on a minimum of 10 home games which should still be achievable.

[Scubby]

46 minutes ago, Dave T said:

They have sold them based on a minimum of 10 home games which should still be achievable.

Indeed they could still have as many as 13 home games. Is this a reaction to the ridiculous number of fixtures? Or a reaction to not knowing what they are playing for? Last year they played only 25 games with 12 at home.

[LeytherRob]

If I was a Swinton fan I would be holding off booking any Toronto trip now. They are due the week after the fax game and next on the chopping block should there be any more delays. 

[manu266]

Oh dear... If this is true and final, this is really bad. Bad management, bad communication. They told us all home games would be played in Canada. Then the Magic Weekend move, now this, and yes I don't think we will see a home opener against Swinton either.

And on top of that we Wolfpack Fans have to get this news from the ex-visiting team website. Quel courage !

 

[CanadianRugger]

It's super annoying.  They should be playing games home games in Canada.  

There are ample stadiums in Southern Ontario where this could have taken place.

[The Phantom Horseman]

It's not great for the integrity of the competition either. If Halifax (who have top 4 aspirations) get to play Toronto at, say, Odsal, in front of a crowd consisting almost entirely of Fax fans, that will be a huge advantage over any rivals who might have to travel to Toronto later in the year. It's bad enough from that point of view that Toulouse, also top 4 contenders, have been granted an exemption from the transatlantic trip via the Magic Weekend game.

[Dr Tim Whatley]

Bad news as well for any away fans who may have already made plans...

[Sick39ed]

Damn!

I was so looking forward to a trip to Canada!

[Lounge Room Lizard]

Very poor from TW. Why is the game not in Canada?  How do they hope to grow locally if they keep taking the games to the UK? This doesnt help them or the Sport by moving games to the UK. What message does it send to Canadians, when 2 of the top home games wont be played in North America. Any more games move to the UK and you might as well Rename the Club Manchester Wolfpack! Rugby League the Sport that keeps shooting itself in the foot.

[Harry Stottle]

So thats 2 games wiped from the balence sheet of Air Transat,  I wonder what their reaction is?

[westside]

TWP can't really do anything about the pitch replacement. Maybe they are having issues booking venues in Canada on short notice?

[marklaspalmas]

Hope no Fax fans have been financially stung by this.

I'd really like to see Fev there in July, but nothing is booked yet.

[Dave T]

25 minutes ago, Monkey Lover said:

I seem to remember being shot down when I posted that they were intending to play as many games as possible in the UK. funny how things seem to be pointing towards them doing all they can to switch fixtures over here isn't it?

No way will this be the last. As someone has pointed out already there are plenty of places they could have played in Canada/North America if they really wanted to fulfill home games.

 

You announced that they would be playing only 4 games in Canada iirc.

Maybe come back when that is true.

[Kayakman]

9 minutes ago, westside said:

TWP can't really do anything about the pitch replacement. Maybe they are having issues booking venues in Canada on short notice?

Unforeseen circumstances...still working things out...this will be the official 'transition' year...last year was the initial 'breakthrough' year...this is a unique experience and we are flexible on this end...everything will work out in the end...all good on this end!

Obstacles are only barriers to be overcome...the whining and bitterness, the negative energy...oh well lets just give up...we are all used to it on this end now.  C'est la vie!

[CanadianRugger]

I'd like to send a note to the RFL that you can't call a team Toronto if they spend 10 out of 12 months playing in the UK.  This better not become a massive farce.

There are other forces at work as well.  Regardless of Canada's poor on field performance of late at Rugby Union, the sport is still 100x more popular than league. 

As a participation sport there are around 70 rugby union clubs in Ontario, most towns have at least one club with major cities like Toronto and Ottawa having a number of different neighborhood clubs.  This also doesnt take in to account that Rugby Union is played in all public high schools.  

There are three actual League clubs in all of Ontario and probably less than 200 amateur players, there are 15,000 registered club union players just in Ontario (this doesn't include school union).

As stated elsewhere, the Ontario Blues (the provincial amateur rep side that plays in Rugby Canada's CRC) are becoming professional and will begin play in the American MLR from 2019.  

Now the MLR is the second attempt at starting a homegrown Pro League in NA; however, unlike the now defunct PRO Rugby that was owned by one individual, MLR ia based on existing clubs who are forming professional sides.

The Wolfpack were first to the market; however, there are a lot of back room movements at play right now that could upset the apple cart if they aren't careful.

 

[Scubby]

14 minutes ago, Kayakman said:

Unforeseen circumstances...still working things out...this will be the official 'transition' year...last year was the initial 'breakthrough' year...this is a unique experience and we are flexible on this end...everything will work out in the end...all good on this end!

Obstacles are only barriers to be overcome...the whining and bitterness, the negative energy...oh well lets just give up...we are all used to it on this end now.  C'est la vie!

I do not often mitigate the miserable tone on here. However, in mitigation a lot of posters have been through Paris, Celtic Crusaders and such over the last 20 years. Toronto have created an uncertain vibe in year 2 that reflects exactly what happened with these clubs. 

Now I believe we are talking about completely different beasts here but it is easy for many non-cheerleading posters on here to be anxious. The Wolfpack haven't covered themselves in glory with how they have handled this IMO. I believe this is partly due to the uncertainty over the whole competition. Why go full steam for promotion when you might not actually need it for 2019? The UK game itself is to blame for creating this landscape but The Wolfpack is allowing unnecessary rumour to germinate. 

[manu266]

Well it seems these games are guaranteed to be played somewhere in the GTA at least. Any UK fan booking these will get a refund if the game is moved elsewhere.

Maybe there was a bit of impatience among our early visitors that led to this situation. But Wolfpack management was surely a bit slow on things. It was a no brainer to me as soon as you know Lamport is not ready, you take the first 2 games to Hamilton, it's our next Canadian team, no one is using the stadium in April-May, and the Toulouse game to any stadium in Montreal. It costs money I know, but it makes sense, and they would have sold enough tickets anyway. That's like having 3 home openers on the same season.

I'm worried now, because any delay in organizing post-season home games could lead to other lost home games. I can see it coming from miles away. With the fixtures above, we only have only one more guaranteed home game. Hope Wolfpack staff has learned from this and will be faster to react in the future.

[Kayakman]

4 minutes ago, CanadianRugger said:

I'd like to send a note to the RFL that you can't call a team Toronto if they spend 10 out of 12 months playing in the UK.  This better not become a massive farce.

There are other forces at work as well.  Regardless of Canada's poor on field performance of late at Rugby Union, the sport is still 100x more popular than league. 

As a participation sport there are around 70 rugby union clubs in Ontario, most towns have at least one club with major cities like Toronto and Ottawa having a number of different neighborhood clubs.  This also doesnt take in to account that Rugby Union is played in all public high schools.  

There are three actual League clubs in all of Ontario and probably less than 200 amateur players, there are 15,000 registered club union players just in Ontario (this doesn't include school union).

As stated elsewhere, the Ontario Blues (the provincial amateur rep side that plays in Rugby Canada's CRC) are becoming professional and will begin play in the American MLR from 2019.  

Now the MLR is the second attempt at starting a homegrown Pro League in NA; however, unlike the now defunct PRO Rugby that was owned by one individual, MLR ia based on existing clubs who are forming professional sides.

The Wolfpack were first to the market; however, there are a lot of back room movements at play right now that could upset the apple cart if they aren't careful.

 

As my English friends can obviously see...we have our problems with Union people also...this post belongs on the cross code forum...dreamers!....Union will never be able to compete with the Wolfpack...pro union teams have been tried before and the result will just repeat itself...keep banging on that giant boulder with that tack hammer...something will eventually give!

[Kayakman]

13 minutes ago, Scubby said:

I do not often mitigate the miserable tone on here. However, in mitigation a lot of posters have been through Paris, Celtic Crusaders and such over the last 20 years. Toronto have created an uncertain vibe in year 2 that reflects exactly what happened with these clubs. 

Now I believe we are talking about completely different beasts here but it is easy for many non-cheerleading posters on here to be anxious. The Wolfpack haven't covered themselves in glory with how they have handled this IMO. I believe this is partly due to the uncertainty over the whole competition. Why go full steam for promotion when you might not actually need it for 2019? The UK game itself is to blame for creating this landscape but The Wolfpack is allowing unnecessary rumour to germinate. 

No worries Scubster...you are overreacting...full bore to the engines over here, a few waves and a slight headwind is no reason to alter course!

Actually we are increasing throttle speed to all engines!

[Wiltshire Warrior Dragon]

if this game cannot take place in Toronto, how about in Halifax, Nova Scotia - probably a ridiculously naïve suggestion, I realise!

[jpmc]

3 minutes ago, Wiltshire Warrior Dragon said:

if this game cannot take place in Toronto, how about in Halifax, Nova Scotia - probably a ridiculously naïve suggestion, I realise!

Lol someone had to say it

[SteveT]

40 minutes ago, marklaspalmas said:

Hope no Fax fans have been financially stung by this.

I'd really like to see Fev there in July, but nothing is booked yet.

The club advised fans not to make arrangements when the fixtures came out and to wait for further announcements so any problems should hopefully be minimal.