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http://www.nzherald.co.nz/sport/news/article.cfm?c_id=4&objectid=11769108
League: Trans-Atlantic Wolfpack are trail blazers for league
Toronto Wolfpack manager Eric Perez spreads the gospel.
Eric Perez is in charge of one of the unlikeliest sporting ventures on the planet - and is dreaming even bigger.
Perez is the man behind the Toronto Wolfpack, the first trans-Atlantic sports franchise which will compete in the Championship League One (the third tier of British rugby league) next season.
It's an audacious project, with 11,000km round trips for away games. But he's not stopping there.
Perez can see a future with a second Canadian team, based in Montreal, and also the possibility of league franchises in the United States.
"We have big aims but there is no reason why it won't happen," Perez told the Herald on Sunday. "We hope to have a Montreal team under way in the next few years and by the [2025] World Cup, teams in Boston and New York.
"Rugby league is such an exciting sport. People who grow up with it take it for granted.
I'm confident it can be a big hit in North America."
In England, the Wolfpack is viewed as an exciting development. The sport has plateaued there in recent times, as rugby enjoys excellent growth, and no longer attracts the best overseas talent it did a decade or so ago.
The recent demise of former Super League powerhouse Bradford (currently in administration) is another concern, and other second and third-tier clubs are treading water.
The Toronto franchise could be the boost the sport needs. The organisation is backed by Australian mining magnate David Argyle, as well as several other investors. They initially applied to join Super League directly - but were turned down - so will start at the semi-professional level of Championship League One, against the likes of the South Wales Ironmen, Coventry Bears and Whitehaven. At this level, many players are part-time, and a crowd of more than one or two thousand is a bumper gate.
As a condition of their entry, the Wolfpack had to agree to pay the travel and accommodation costs of the other 11 clubs for the games in Canada.
But compared with Super Rugby's Sunwolves, the Wolfpack have a smarter schedule. They'll be based in England for a month at a time, playing away games, before returning to Canada for four-week blocks of home matches.
It's an unlikely venture, as Canada has little pedigree in league, but the initial signs are promising. According to Perez, they have sold almost half their season tickets already and expect to have near-full houses (capacity 10,000) during the season.
Perez's league dream began six years ago. Sitting in a Birmingham hotel on a business trip to England, he came across Super League while channel surfing.
"I thought 'this is the greatest sport that's never been in Canada' and that's how it all started," said Perez.
Perez helped to re-establish the Canada Rugby League, which had folded in 2000, and organise games against the United States and Jamaica. He was the ultimate jack of all trades, even filming and hosting the small-scale coverage of Canada's test matches. Perez says league has made encouraging progress in Canada, with the national team drawing crowds of more than 5000.
"Canadians find it really easy to understand, as do North Americans in general because it's so close to [American and Canadian] football," said Perez. "It's not a difficult sport to pick up. Canadian football is a direct derivative of rugby league - Canadians watch a few sets and know basically what is going on."
The Wolfpack, whose colours are based on the All Blacks according to Perez, are on a mission to grow the sport in the region.
Their director of rugby is former Great Britain player and coach Brian Noble, and former St Helens and Warrington forward Adam Fogerty recently spent two weeks in the US and Jamaica scouting for players.
"It was unbelievable in Kingston," said Noble. "There is so much raw talent there. The same in Tampa, with ex-college football players and rugby players. If we can teach them the basics, they could be anything."
The Wolfpack are bringing 18 players from the recent tryouts to England in December for further trials and hope to sign "two or three".
"We want to provide another pathway into professional sport," said Noble. "Only a tiny minority make it to the NFL. Maybe we can be an alternative."
Perez wants to take the Wolfpack all the way to Super League, ultimately targeting Australian and New Zealand players for their roster.
There is a sense of excitement about the team and they have already booked glamour pre-season friendlies against Challenge Cup winners Hull and Super League champions Wigan.
"We have big goals, so why not start with the best? That's where we want to end up," said Noble.
Promotion is tipped within the first year and arrival in Super League within three or four years. The timing is also good, coinciding with the recent awarding of the 2025 League World Cup to the US and Canada.
"It's been a long road," said Perez. "I built it from nothing, which is not the easiest thing to do, but every day that goes by, the dream is realised more."
League: Trans-Atlantic Wolfpack are trail blazers for league
Toronto Wolfpack manager Eric Perez spreads the gospel.
Eric Perez is in charge of one of the unlikeliest sporting ventures on the planet - and is dreaming even bigger.
Perez is the man behind the Toronto Wolfpack, the first trans-Atlantic sports franchise which will compete in the Championship League One (the third tier of British rugby league) next season.
It's an audacious project, with 11,000km round trips for away games. But he's not stopping there.
Perez can see a future with a second Canadian team, based in Montreal, and also the possibility of league franchises in the United States.
"We have big aims but there is no reason why it won't happen," Perez told the Herald on Sunday. "We hope to have a Montreal team under way in the next few years and by the [2025] World Cup, teams in Boston and New York.
"Rugby league is such an exciting sport. People who grow up with it take it for granted.
I'm confident it can be a big hit in North America."
In England, the Wolfpack is viewed as an exciting development. The sport has plateaued there in recent times, as rugby enjoys excellent growth, and no longer attracts the best overseas talent it did a decade or so ago.
The recent demise of former Super League powerhouse Bradford (currently in administration) is another concern, and other second and third-tier clubs are treading water.
The Toronto franchise could be the boost the sport needs. The organisation is backed by Australian mining magnate David Argyle, as well as several other investors. They initially applied to join Super League directly - but were turned down - so will start at the semi-professional level of Championship League One, against the likes of the South Wales Ironmen, Coventry Bears and Whitehaven. At this level, many players are part-time, and a crowd of more than one or two thousand is a bumper gate.
As a condition of their entry, the Wolfpack had to agree to pay the travel and accommodation costs of the other 11 clubs for the games in Canada.
But compared with Super Rugby's Sunwolves, the Wolfpack have a smarter schedule. They'll be based in England for a month at a time, playing away games, before returning to Canada for four-week blocks of home matches.
It's an unlikely venture, as Canada has little pedigree in league, but the initial signs are promising. According to Perez, they have sold almost half their season tickets already and expect to have near-full houses (capacity 10,000) during the season.
Perez's league dream began six years ago. Sitting in a Birmingham hotel on a business trip to England, he came across Super League while channel surfing.
"I thought 'this is the greatest sport that's never been in Canada' and that's how it all started," said Perez.
Perez helped to re-establish the Canada Rugby League, which had folded in 2000, and organise games against the United States and Jamaica. He was the ultimate jack of all trades, even filming and hosting the small-scale coverage of Canada's test matches. Perez says league has made encouraging progress in Canada, with the national team drawing crowds of more than 5000.
"Canadians find it really easy to understand, as do North Americans in general because it's so close to [American and Canadian] football," said Perez. "It's not a difficult sport to pick up. Canadian football is a direct derivative of rugby league - Canadians watch a few sets and know basically what is going on."
The Wolfpack, whose colours are based on the All Blacks according to Perez, are on a mission to grow the sport in the region.
Their director of rugby is former Great Britain player and coach Brian Noble, and former St Helens and Warrington forward Adam Fogerty recently spent two weeks in the US and Jamaica scouting for players.
"It was unbelievable in Kingston," said Noble. "There is so much raw talent there. The same in Tampa, with ex-college football players and rugby players. If we can teach them the basics, they could be anything."
The Wolfpack are bringing 18 players from the recent tryouts to England in December for further trials and hope to sign "two or three".
"We want to provide another pathway into professional sport," said Noble. "Only a tiny minority make it to the NFL. Maybe we can be an alternative."
Perez wants to take the Wolfpack all the way to Super League, ultimately targeting Australian and New Zealand players for their roster.
There is a sense of excitement about the team and they have already booked glamour pre-season friendlies against Challenge Cup winners Hull and Super League champions Wigan.
"We have big goals, so why not start with the best? That's where we want to end up," said Noble.
Promotion is tipped within the first year and arrival in Super League within three or four years. The timing is also good, coinciding with the recent awarding of the 2025 League World Cup to the US and Canada.
"It's been a long road," said Perez. "I built it from nothing, which is not the easiest thing to do, but every day that goes by, the dream is realised more."
