ojx Posted July 16, 2018 Share Posted July 16, 2018 The rugby landscape in Toronto is going to change, it seems like the Arrows are in final discussion to enter MRL in 2019: https://ontarioarrowsrugby.com/2018/07/16/release-ontario-arrows-planning-major-league-rugby-entry-for-2019/ I think the best option for Canada would be to get one team into the Pro14. That way the best players can play at a high level and develop. MLR is spreading the North American talent too thinly. York University stadium is also a bit of a trek, but at least the new subway line gets into there now. UofT Varsity Stadium would be a much better option for the Arrows. Don't discount the important of location, especially for the Wolfpack. I don't think the liberty village hipsters will want to go up there. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NickWeaver Posted July 16, 2018 Share Posted July 16, 2018 I think one of the main problems for the arrows will be weather as MLR is planning on playing April to June and those stadiums are hard to get to from outside of Toronto. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheReaper Posted July 17, 2018 Share Posted July 17, 2018 I'm pretty excited for it. York U is right off the highway for out of towners, so that should be okay. U of T location would be better, but then again it's a turf field with football lines vs grass at York. I think talent is actually one of the strengths of the Arrows bid, not many Ontario players involved with other teams at all. And they beat Utah and tied Houston with an almost entirely Ontario based squad. I'm happy we're ending up with MLR vs Pro 14. I'd rather play Seattle, Boston, New York etc. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ojx Posted July 17, 2018 Author Share Posted July 17, 2018 Is there an MLR requirement that it has to be a grass field? Lamport would be the other good option, but with TWP and TFCII scheduling will get complicated. What I don't like about York Lion stadium is the track, makes the action seem quite distant. Other than that it is a good facility. I do have worries about the sustainability of MLR based on the crowds they are getting and the amount of travel involved. The investors will have to be in this for the long haul to get their money back. I wonder what kind of relationship the TWP will have with the Arrows? As long as they are confident in their product, I'm guessing it will be supportive. The gulf in quality between SL and MLR players will be huge. I think many will support both teams for different reasons. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Big Picture Posted July 17, 2018 Share Posted July 17, 2018 22 hours ago, ojx said: The rugby landscape in Toronto is going to change, it seems like the Arrows are in final discussion to enter MRL in 2019: https://ontarioarrowsrugby.com/2018/07/16/release-ontario-arrows-planning-major-league-rugby-entry-for-2019/ I think the best option for Canada would be to get one team into the Pro14. That way the best players can play at a high level and develop. MLR is spreading the North American talent too thinly. York University stadium is also a bit of a trek, but at least the new subway line gets into there now. UofT Varsity Stadium would be a much better option for the Arrows. Don't discount the important of location, especially for the Wolfpack. I don't think the liberty village hipsters will want to go up there. This an RL forum, who cares about the inferior form of rugby? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Krzzystuff Posted July 17, 2018 Share Posted July 17, 2018 lol it's Canada...TWP supports RU clubs as well as RL...its just rugby here really. Get kids playing the sports, naturally they will see league as the better option and go that way in the end. confidence...it's awesome! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheReaper Posted July 18, 2018 Share Posted July 18, 2018 7 hours ago, ojx said: Is there an MLR requirement that it has to be a grass field? Lamport would be the other good option, but with TWP and TFCII scheduling will get complicated. What I don't like about York Lion stadium is the track, makes the action seem quite distant. Other than that it is a good facility. Nah, I just like grass better to play on. Seattle has turf I believe. Have you ever watched an event there? I'm curious how far away you feel. I went to the game against Boston but that got moved to the turf football field, so haven't experienced the new one yet. I'm sure you're right that plenty will be supporting both. The clubs have different enough approaches, even without worrying about which code they're playing. OR... Hamilton-esqe merger? Toronto Arrow-Wolfs? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RogerT Posted July 20, 2018 Share Posted July 20, 2018 As a comparison look at the Leeds Rhino's and Yorkshire Carnegie model, one is Rugby League the other Rugby Union all played at one stadium and the same CEO and management. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ojx Posted July 20, 2018 Author Share Posted July 20, 2018 33 minutes ago, RogerT said: As a comparison look at the Leeds Rhino's and Yorkshire Carnegie model, one is Rugby League the other Rugby Union all played at one stadium and the same CEO and management. This would be a great model for TWP. The reality is that the entry point into youth rugby in Ontario is through RU. TWP has and needs to continue to work with the local RU community. Quinn played age grade RU. I would like to see them support the Arrows. Creating animosity won’t do any good, many will support both teams. Like I said the skill difference between a SL rugby player and a MLR player is huge. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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