Can Toronto become the new RL heartland?

[The Daddy]

The Wolfpack have made a decent start and now Perez is pushing for Hamilton to join the league structure. Hamilton is essentially another district of Toronto, it seems the strategy here might be to saturate the Toronto market so that there's a big game in that part of the world every weekend. A game between both of them would essentially be a derby game. 

Personally I would have preferred a Montreal team as that's a huge untapped market. Is aiming towards the Hamilton-Toronto axis the right strategy? 

[RS]

Only if there is another multi millionaire willing to lose several millions on the project in the first few years 

[sweaty craiq]

Greater Toronto has a population of 6.4m, Sydney has about 5m as a comparison. Toronto could hold 6 clubs comfortably. We have a huge chance to establish our sport in all the major city's in Canada if TWP succeed - in 20 years it could be the epicentre of the sport

[The Future is League]

40 minutes ago, The Daddy said:

The Wolfpack have made a decent start and now Perez is pushing for Hamilton to join the league structure. Hamilton is essentially another district of Toronto, it seems the strategy here might be to saturate the Toronto market so that there's a big game in that part of the world every weekend. A game between both of them would essentially be a derby game. 

Personally I would have preferred a Montreal team as that's a huge untapped market. Is aiming towards the Hamilton-Toronto axis the right strategy? 

Parky could end up having a heart attack when he see's the headline

[JohnM]

not a chance. Everything around the Wolfpack is far too positive.

[hrtbps]

I can see Brampton Bears making a go of it. 

[fieldofclothofgold]

Jury hasn't even retired as far as I'm concerned on Toronto

[Big Picture]

1 hour ago, sweaty craiq said:

Greater Toronto has a population of 6.4m, Sydney has about 5m as a comparison. Toronto could hold 6 clubs comfortably. We have a huge chance to establish our sport in all the major city's in Canada if TWP succeed - in 20 years it could be the epicentre of the sport

No it couldn't, sports don't work that way in North America.  Even bigger places like New York, Chicago and Los Angeles, never have more than 2 in the same sport and the vast majority of cities only ever have 1 team in a sport.

[jpmc]

Id just like to see Toronto prosper to the point were the current home isnt big enough and the next step up is a 25k stadium which they can grow into and hopefully fill.

 

[sweaty craiq]

22 minutes ago, Big Picture said:

No it couldn't, sports don't work that way in North America.  Even bigger places like New York, Chicago and Los Angeles, never have more than 2 in the same sport and the vast majority of cities only ever have 1 team in a sport.

Thought Toronto had the 6 boroughs hence the 6 teams

[nadera78]

28 minutes ago, Big Picture said:

No it couldn't, sports don't work that way in North America.  Even bigger places like New York, Chicago and Los Angeles, never have more than 2 in the same sport and the vast majority of cities only ever have 1 team in a sport.

Exactly. People seem keen to transplant a failed model from elsewhere to the North American sporting scene.

[TheReaper]

3 hours ago, The Daddy said:

Hamilton is essentially another district of Toronto

Ahem.  No it is not. 

[Yakkers]

I think it would be more beneficial to see a team from each of the 6 largest Canadian cities in the RLF/NRL pyramids rather than 6 from Toronto but I'd not be turning away anybody that has the means to give it a crack.

[CanadianRugger]

Hamilton is not Toronto, it is a separate city.  That's like saying Leeds is Manchester.

Hamilton and the Niagara Region are craving for a pro sports franchise.  They almost had an NHL team a few years ago but were vetoed by the Sabres and Leafs as the team would have smack in the middle of their territory.

Hamilton has the Hamilton Tiger Cats Football Club who are major rivals of the Toronto Argonauts Football Club in the CFL.

[tim2]

If the money is there, have 2 - however bear in mind the weather conditions and the fact that Feb-April are difficult months to host RL in Canada.

I would like to see a feeder league of 6 clubs develop as part of the Wolfpack / Hamilton axis using local talent.

[Allora]

28 minutes ago, TheReaper said:

Ahem.  No it is not. 

Toronto is a bigger City than I thought if Hamilton is 76km away and still  part of Toronto. :-)

 

[jpmc]

13 minutes ago, tim2 said:

If the money is there, have 2 - however bear in mind the weather conditions and the fact that Feb-April are difficult months to host RL in Canada.

I would like to see a feeder league of 6 clubs develop as part of the Wolfpack / Hamilton axis using local talent.

Yep top down and bottom up and meeting in the middle would be fantastic 

[CanadianRugger]

16 minutes ago, tim2 said:

If the money is there, have 2 - however bear in mind the weather conditions and the fact that Feb-April are difficult months to host RL in Canada.

I would like to see a feeder league of 6 clubs develop as part of the Wolfpack / Hamilton axis using local talent.

Yes, there are three rugby league clubs in GTA right now:

Toronto City Saints

Toronto Centurions

Brantford Broncos

I would like to see the amateur game develop and I believe it will as the Wolfpack grow in popularity.  

Fletchers needs to get a club playing out of there and get one in Oakville as well.  I think Kingston could support a Rugby League club once there are a few more Toronto clubs. 

Honestly, with this big push towards Rugby Sevens in Canada, League can easily capitalize on that by saying: look we have this other variant of the sport that lasts longer and is every bit as exciting as Rugby Sevens.  I hate Sevens but love League btw.

[Bullish Giant Rhino]

I still have my doubts about the Wolfpack. It seems like every season they’re going to have to play their first 11 games on the road. I’m not sure whether that is such a good business model. 

I’m concerned that the Canadian weather could be the only blocker to this trans-Atlantic project working.

[Krzzystuff]

14 minutes ago, Bullish Giant Rhino said:

I still have my doubts about the Wolfpack. It seems like every season they’re going to have to play their first 11 games on the road. I’m not sure whether that is such a good business model. 

I’m concerned that the Canadian weather could be the only blocker to this trans-Atlantic project working.

bah don't worry. Everyone is complaining that the season is too long and a structure change is needed, we will be the catalyst to have the season start later and problem solved.

[northamptoncougar]

55 minutes ago, CanadianRugger said:

Yes, there are three rugby league clubs in GTA right now:

Toronto City Saints

Toronto Centurions

Brantford Broncos

I would like to see the amateur game develop and I believe it will as the Wolfpack grow in popularity.  

Fletchers needs to get a club playing out of there and get one in Oakville as well.  I think Kingston could support a Rugby League club once there are a few more Toronto clubs. 

Honestly, with this big push towards Rugby Sevens in Canada, League can easily capitalize on that by saying: look we have this other variant of the sport that lasts longer and is every bit as exciting as Rugby Sevens.  I hate Sevens but love League btw.

Oakville? Come on now, that’s the equivalent of setting up an RL side in Mayfair or somewhere else very posh that I don’t know of.

I think they have a Union team there and may have tried a league side a few years ago but I’ve no idea where you’d find a squad of 30 guys in Oakville to play RL.

[Bullish Giant Rhino]

9 minutes ago, Krzzystuff said:

bah don't worry. Everyone is complaining that the season is too long and a structure change is needed, we will be the catalyst to have the season start later and problem solved.

So your success is predicated on less games being played? 

Fwiw I don’t think the season will be shortened for several years, and if TW are to be the catalyst then they need a multi million $ TV deal to show to the clubs 

[CanadianRugger]

6 minutes ago, northamptoncougar said:

Oakville? Come on now, that’s the equivalent of setting up an RL side in Mayfair or somewhere else very posh that I don’t know of.

I think they have a Union team there and may have tried a league side a few years ago but I’ve no idea where you’d find a squad of 30 guys in Oakville to play RL.

You realize most of the GTA is pretty posh compared to the North of England.  People who play and watch sports here generally have some money.

They have a fairly decent Rugby Union club in Oakville, a League side wouldn't be hard to put together.

[TheReaper]

I'm pretty sure Oakville is the largest club in the country.

There's also a huge amount of people playing soccer. Plenty of people who are into sports. 

[CanadianRugger]

13 minutes ago, TheReaper said:

I'm pretty sure Oakville is the largest club in the country.

There's also a huge amount of people playing soccer. Plenty of people who are into sports. 

Yah they also have a nice little club house