9,562

[The Future is League]

13 hours ago, Sir Kevin Sinfield said:

9,562 people at The Lamport Stadium Toronto tonight. Expansion is a success and can be repeated, bring on New York and Ottawa. 

Its easy to with with crowds like this that certain Super League clubs fear them

[GUBRATS]

18 minutes ago, The Future is League said:

Its easy to with with crowds like this that certain Super League clubs fear them

It isn't because of the attendance numbers they are , feared ' , it's because their owner is a billionaire , and if similar owners were to turn up , then it could drastically alter the sport for their clubs , quite possibly in a negative way , so you can hardly blame them 

[TboneFromTO]

37 minutes ago, Copa said:

Do they have tailgating at TWP games?

I don't know !  It's now legal in Ontario ( it wasn't before). So it may start

[Clogiron]

You could give me free tickets to every RU game played the next 10 years or to every Wimbledon, Golf or Horse Racing event staged in this country but I still wouldn't use them, people have to be prepared to try event's either by word of mouth or good publicity to make the effort so TWP are obviously doing something right. Back when I was at school  in the 60s we used to get free tickets to watch Keighley often, further when the BTCC was at it's zenith in the 90s drawing crowds of 40,000+ often at least 50% were freebies via competitions, hopitality team guests etc, it was and still is accepted practice for sponsors & publicity in most branches of motor sport, any paying spectators are foolish and a bonus, if you fancy going just ask the garage where you bought your vehicle.

[GUBRATS]

19 minutes ago, TboneFromTO said:

I don't know !  It's now legal in Ontario ( it wasn't before). So it may start

Is the car park big enough ?

[Big Picture]

1 hour ago, Copa said:

Do they have tailgating at TWP games?

No for two reasons.  It was illegal in Ontario until very recently, and space limitations in the Liberty Village area.  The beer garden was conceived as an alternative way to give the matches that party atmosphere.

[GUBRATS]

14 hours ago, EssexRL said:

Lots all clubs learn from Toronto 

In what way ?

[Odsal Outlaw]

5 hours ago, Oxford said:

Let's put this in a bit of perspective the relative figures for the crowd are only being discussed because certain posters can't bring themselves to believe that they were so numerous.

But on these same pages the yawn crowd was 2000 approx, now draw a breath. The crowd for TWP (admitaedly inflated by thousands of Swinton fans!) was certainly far bigger than that.

Now, isn't that the same sport that is so dominant that TGG needs to give up now and go home according to at least one poster?

 

Great point - TWP have just dwarfed the crowd of their union neighbours. Something to celebrate for TGG.

[RP London]

30 minutes ago, Clogiron said:

You could give me free tickets to every RU game played the next 10 years or to every Wimbledon, Golf or Horse Racing event staged in this country but I still wouldn't use them, people have to be prepared to try event's either by word of mouth or good publicity to make the effort so TWP are obviously doing something right. Back when I was at school  in the 60s we used to get free tickets to watch Keighley often, further when the BTCC was at it's zenith in the 90s drawing crowds of 40,000+ often at least 50% were freebies via competitions, hopitality team guests etc, it was and still is accepted practice for sponsors & publicity in most branches of motor sport, any paying spectators are foolish and a bonus, if you fancy going just ask the garage where you bought your vehicle.

I can do that for RL too as I bought a Dacia 

Yes you have to want to go of course but I would be more inclined to give something a chance for example all of what you listed that you would not want to do I would go to at least once on a freebie and i'm not really that inclined to go to them at all... I shall be heading off to the snooker this week as we have got a ticket from a friend who cannot go.. i've always thought it could be interesting but not got into gear to get anything sorted out before, get given a ticket though and off I will trot.

[steve wild]

Speaking as a Swinton official/fan who was at the game , I’d say 9,562 was an accurate crowd. The Canadian supporters seemed to drift into the ground throughout the game, as well as hang around the beer tents and food kiosks etc. Locals told us they had never seen the place so packed. 

They also didn’t seem to care who they were playing, although our group of fans constantly tried to remind them! They had simply turned up for the event and were clearly enjoying themselves. We made a point of speaking to as many TW fans as possible, some being fairly knowledgeable, but the vast majority not so. But they all shared the same enthusiasm and were very welcoming & friendly. David Argyll was actually manning the gate when we arrived, so clearly willing to get out there and do his bit and be visible. During the game he personally delivered two crates of beer to the Swinton fans to thank them for coming! Very nice touch that he didn’t have to do. 

These were just my personal experiences, but which have only served to strengthen my club’s view that there is a wider picture, and we simply have to embrace it. Post 2021/Sky the implications are serious for Championship/League 1, and clubs have to be positioning themselves as of now for that potential cliff edge. Supporting the expansion clubs is in our view a no risk strategy compared with the alternative.

 

[GUBRATS]

36 minutes ago, Clogiron said:

You could give me free tickets to every RU game played the next 10 years or to every Wimbledon, Golf or Horse Racing event staged in this country but I still wouldn't use them, people have to be prepared to try event's either by word of mouth or good publicity to make the effort so TWP are obviously doing something right. Back when I was at school  in the 60s we used to get free tickets to watch Keighley often, further when the BTCC was at it's zenith in the 90s drawing crowds of 40,000+ often at least 50% were freebies via competitions, hopitality team guests etc, it was and still is accepted practice for sponsors & publicity in most branches of motor sport, any paying spectators are foolish and a bonus, if you fancy going just ask the garage where you bought your vehicle.

If there was a game of ' Zero Gravity Football ' against Tokyo being staged at your local stadium on a Sunday your RL club  weren't playing and you were given free tickets for you and 3 others , would you go ? , A sport you had never heard of or watched ? 

[Kayakman]

I was a little worried about crowd size at the start but after about 20 minutes people settled in...the attendance figure was, once again, accurate.

Wonder how many will be at the Bulls game next week.

Was happy to applaud the Swinton guys off after the game...THEY DID THEIR BEST.

[dkw]

29 minutes ago, steve wild said:

They had simply turned up for the event and were clearly enjoying themselves.

 

Well we cant have that, they need teaching immediately that youre not supposed to go to RL games to enjoy them, thats just madness.

[Tommygilf]

32 minutes ago, steve wild said:

Speaking as a Swinton official/fan who was at the game , I’d say 9,562 was an accurate crowd. The Canadian supporters seemed to drift into the ground throughout the game, as well as hang around the beer tents and food kiosks etc. Locals told us they had never seen the place so packed. 

They also didn’t seem to care who they were playing, although our group of fans constantly tried to remind them! They had simply turned up for the event and were clearly enjoying themselves. We made a point of speaking to as many TW fans as possible, some being fairly knowledgeable, but the vast majority not so. But they all shared the same enthusiasm and were very welcoming & friendly. David Argyll was actually manning the gate when we arrived, so clearly willing to get out there and do his bit and be visible. During the game he personally delivered two crates of beer to the Swinton fans to thank them for coming! Very nice touch that he didn’t have to do. 

These were just my personal experiences, but which have only served to strengthen my club’s view that there is a wider picture, and we simply have to embrace it. Post 2021/Sky the implications are serious for Championship/League 1, and clubs have to be positioning themselves as of now for that potential cliff edge. Supporting the expansion clubs is in our view a no risk strategy compared with the alternative.

 

What an absolutely fantastic experience! Its stories like this that make me annoyed we didn't draw Toronto away in the qualifiers!

I have a feeling the more people from over here that go to Toronto (and the others if they come in) the more that will be won over.

[RP London]

35 minutes ago, steve wild said:

Speaking as a Swinton official/fan who was at the game , I’d say 9,562 was an accurate crowd. The Canadian supporters seemed to drift into the ground throughout the game, as well as hang around the beer tents and food kiosks etc. Locals told us they had never seen the place so packed. 

They also didn’t seem to care who they were playing, although our group of fans constantly tried to remind them! They had simply turned up for the event and were clearly enjoying themselves. We made a point of speaking to as many TW fans as possible, some being fairly knowledgeable, but the vast majority not so. But they all shared the same enthusiasm and were very welcoming & friendly. David Argyll was actually manning the gate when we arrived, so clearly willing to get out there and do his bit and be visible. During the game he personally delivered two crates of beer to the Swinton fans to thank them for coming! Very nice touch that he didn’t have to do. 

These were just my personal experiences, but which have only served to strengthen my club’s view that there is a wider picture, and we simply have to embrace it. Post 2021/Sky the implications are serious for Championship/League 1, and clubs have to be positioning themselves as of now for that potential cliff edge. Supporting the expansion clubs is in our view a no risk strategy compared with the alternative.

 

if there was a stand up and applaud button on this i would have clicked it... the last paragraph is spot on.. 

[Clogiron]

17 minutes ago, GUBRATS said:

If there was a game of ' Zero Gravity Football ' against Tokyo being staged at your local stadium on a Sunday your RL club  weren't playing and you were given free tickets for you and 3 others , would you go ? , A sport you had never heard of or watched ? 

Probably not, but then again with age and health issues  my RL viewing is more TV related than ever before. In the past I would have been like RP, especially given a freebie, I have sat through some right dross in the name of trying something different, paying or non paying, American Football, 2CV racing, Le Mans type Sports Car Racing, Opera in the Arena at Verona all memorable for the wrong reasons, now I just can't be ar**d

[RP London]

6 minutes ago, dkw said:

Well we cant have that, they need teaching immediately that youre not supposed to go to RL games to enjoy them, thats just madness.

looking at some of the gates we get you could have just left it at the bit in bold!

[RP London]

Just now, Clogiron said:

Probably not, but then again with age and health issues  my RL viewing is more TV related than ever before. In the past I would have been like RP, especially given a freebie, I have sat through some right dross in the name of trying something different, paying or non paying, American Football, 2CV racing, Le Mans type Sports Car Racing, Opera in the Arena at Verona all memorable for the wrong reasons, now I just can't be ar**d

2CV racing???? blimey that must have been slow!

[Clogiron]

1 minute ago, RP London said:

2CV racing???? blimey that must have been slow!

The timekeeper used a sundial, indestructible little buggers tho, roll em, crash em no matter what they did they still came out for their next heat unfortunately, my mate was doing a repot for a motorsports paper so we had to stay to the end no matter how much I begged him to just make it up!

[Adelaide Tiger]

39 minutes ago, steve wild said:

Speaking as a Swinton official/fan who was at the game , I’d say 9,562 was an accurate crowd. The Canadian supporters seemed to drift into the ground throughout the game, as well as hang around the beer tents and food kiosks etc. Locals told us they had never seen the place so packed. 

They also didn’t seem to care who they were playing, although our group of fans constantly tried to remind them! They had simply turned up for the event and were clearly enjoying themselves. We made a point of speaking to as many TW fans as possible, some being fairly knowledgeable, but the vast majority not so. But they all shared the same enthusiasm and were very welcoming & friendly. David Argyll was actually manning the gate when we arrived, so clearly willing to get out there and do his bit and be visible. During the game he personally delivered two crates of beer to the Swinton fans to thank them for coming! Very nice touch that he didn’t have to do. 

These were just my personal experiences, but which have only served to strengthen my club’s view that there is a wider picture, and we simply have to embrace it. Post 2021/Sky the implications are serious for Championship/League 1, and clubs have to be positioning themselves as of now for that potential cliff edge. Supporting the expansion clubs is in our view a no risk strategy compared with the alternative.

 

Sorry Steve, I will have to address a couple of your points.

1. It doesn’t matter one jot that you were at the game and thought that the attendance was accurate, because some people on here have seen a photo of the crowd and know different.

2. You stated that David Argylle brought over a couple of crates of beer for the Swinton fans.  Surely this cannot be the same David Argylle that has been castigated by some on here because he walked by the head of Canada RL without stopping.

Be off with you.

P.S. It sounds like you had a great time.  

P.P.S Isn’t it strange that fans that actually travel over to Toronto seem to enjoy the experience ..... funny that

[henage]

1 hour ago, steve wild said:

Speaking as a Swinton official/fan who was at the game , I’d say 9,562 was an accurate crowd. The Canadian supporters seemed to drift into the ground throughout the game, as well as hang around the beer tents and food kiosks etc. Locals told us they had never seen the place so packed. 

They also didn’t seem to care who they were playing, although our group of fans constantly tried to remind them! They had simply turned up for the event and were clearly enjoying themselves. We made a point of speaking to as many TW fans as possible, some being fairly knowledgeable, but the vast majority not so. But they all shared the same enthusiasm and were very welcoming & friendly. David Argyll was actually manning the gate when we arrived, so clearly willing to get out there and do his bit and be visible. During the game he personally delivered two crates of beer to the Swinton fans to thank them for coming! Very nice touch that he didn’t have to do. 

These were just my personal experiences, but which have only served to strengthen my club’s view that there is a wider picture, and we simply have to embrace it. Post 2021/Sky the implications are serious for Championship/League 1, and clubs have to be positioning themselves as of now for that potential cliff edge. Supporting the expansion clubs is in our view a no risk strategy compared with the alternative.

 

Watched the 1st half and 10mins of the 2nd . Thought your lads gave 100% right from the kick off . Your 1st half try was superb .  Shipped a few points by the end . Not surprising the amount of defending you had to do in the opening quarter of the game . Swinton will be on my league radar .

[Rupert Prince]

3 hours ago, Tre Cool said:

To those questioning the attendance it took about 20 mins after ko to fill up but it was clearly the biggest crowd I've seen there. Photos on social media could have been taken any time, and for the first 10-20 mins the stand opposite the cameras was still filling up.  Strange to me as an RL game is quite short so why miss a quarter of the game? But it's a different culture over there.  

It's typical of the deadbeats the one-eyed and the twitter twisters who moan and obsess about numbers.  

It was a successful day for Toronto. It's pointless to say or pretend  otherwise. There are fair points to be made but they are incapable is saying anything about that.

[Cdd]

10k in Toronto for the Wolfpack game 

Over 20k sold for the game at the Nou Camp in Barcelona 

20k crowd for the international in Denver. 

 

........But it we need to focus on the heartland markets of Leigh, Widnes and Halifax.

This is Rugby League fans. You couldn’t make it up.

Has it ever been more crystal clear where the opportunity is for RL and SL to grow? Bigger markets. 

[GUBRATS]

1 hour ago, Clogiron said:

Probably not, but then again with age and health issues  my RL viewing is more TV related than ever before. In the past I would have been like RP, especially given a freebie, I have sat through some right dross in the name of trying something different, paying or non paying, American Football, 2CV racing, Le Mans type Sports Car Racing, Opera in the Arena at Verona all memorable for the wrong reasons, now I just can't be ar**d

But you get my point Clog ? , The examples you posted were sports you were familiar with , essentially RL is like Zero Gravity Football to a Canadian audience , something new and different 

[Kayakman]

10 minutes ago, GUBRATS said:

But you get my point Clog ? , The examples you posted were sports you were familiar with , essentially RL is like Zero Gravity Football to a Canadian audience , something new and different 

Everybody knows rugby has been around for a long time.