Toronto CEO predicts super league $$ turnover greater than NRL in the coming years

[Vee]

Do you understand the reference to "The Mouse that Roared"?

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Mouse_That_Roared_(film)

Sounds like a very interesting one to see.

 

[POPEYE]

Sounds like a very interesting one to see.

Sellers was the God of pisstakers . . . who in his right mind would want Toronto to fail

 

[Teddyboy]

If he was actually interested (and if he turns out to really be more than a snake-oil sales man) Chairman would be far more appropriate than CEO, i would expect...

The biggest coup this guy could pull of would be getting an established CFL club to field a team in the SuperLeague. THAT would be how to get peoples attention.

RL offers the CFL an international presence with a sport with very closely shared roots (up until 1929, when they introduced the forward pass, Canadian Football had practically the same rules as the RFL and RL in Australia) and CFL would give RL huge exposure in Canada.

Thats what I have been saying yet get i get slagged off as the CFL would benefit if they just switched back to the sort of Rugby roots and they would save money not having the ridiculous costing defence/offence and specialists bollocks.
Be nice to see a shake up in the predictable corporate sporting world.

 

[Hello, I'm The Doctor]

Thats what I have been saying yet get i get slagged off as the CFL would benefit if they just switched back to the sort of Rugby roots and they would save money not having the ridiculous costing defence/offence and specialists bollocks.
Be nice to see a shake up in the predictable corporate sporting world.

Not quite what i said...

What i am suggesting is that a CFL club uses their brand to run a team in a second sport (similar to NRL teams playing in a 9s comp or even RL/VFL clubs who also run soccer/netball teams).

We could, for example, use the Hamilton Tiger-Cats brand and facilities for the new Hamilton team. It would give the team an immediate fan base and national recognision/exposure.

 

[Hello, I'm The Doctor]

Having said that, the CFL could genuinely revert back to RL rules one day; up until the forward pass came in in 1929, the rules were so similar to RL they could have been incorporated by the RLIF) and RL is the safest verion of Gridiron goin around (with the concussion problems in the sport, the status quo cannot hold long term).

And, with RL and CFL going for practically the same market, if RL does start to make real inroads into Canada and challenging the CFLs place, CFL clubs might even start jumping ship. (If nothing else, RL offers an international game that American Football cannot match)

If the CFL was ever to revert back to RL rules (very long distant prospect, at best) this kind of club association would be the first step in that path...

 

[flippikat]

Having said that, the CFL could genuinely revert back to RL rules one day; up until the forward pass came in in 1929, the rules were so similar to RL they could have been incorporated by the RLIF) and RL is the safest verion of Gridiron goin around (with the concussion problems in the sport, the status quo cannot hold long term).

And, with RL and CFL going for practically the same market, if RL does start to make real inroads into Canada and challenging the CFLs place, CFL clubs might even start jumping ship. (If nothing else, RL offers an international game that American Football cannot match)

If the CFL was ever to revert back to RL rules (very long distant prospect, at best) this kind of club association would be the first step in that path...

I like your thinking here. The NFL has never really been serious about expanding into Canada - plenty of talk but no expansion team, so why not look into RL as a pathway for Canada's best athletes? From the sound of it, the success of Toronto has opened plenty of eyes in England's RFL.

Rugby Union just isn't making these moves (getting North American teams into international provincial/club competitions), so now's the time to seize the initiative, before Super Rugby (or whatever replaces it) puts teams there.

 

[Canard]

Having said that, the CFL could genuinely revert back to RL rules one day; up until the forward pass came in in 1929, the rules were so similar to RL they could have been incorporated by the RLIF) and RL is the safest verion of Gridiron goin around (with the concussion problems in the sport, the status quo cannot hold long term).

And, with RL and CFL going for practically the same market, if RL does start to make real inroads into Canada and challenging the CFLs place, CFL clubs might even start jumping ship. (If nothing else, RL offers an international game that American Football cannot match)

If the CFL was ever to revert back to RL rules (very long distant prospect, at best) this kind of club association would be the first step in that path...

Maybe the most ridiculous thing I've ever read on this forum.

 

[veggiepatch1959]

Guinea pig, a giant mouse, kind of

A sewer rat?

 

[Teddyboy]

Having said that, the CFL could genuinely revert back to RL rules one day; up until the forward pass came in in 1929, the rules were so similar to RL they could have been incorporated by the RLIF) and RL is the safest verion of Gridiron goin around (with the concussion problems in the sport, the status quo cannot hold long term).

And, with RL and CFL going for practically the same market, if RL does start to make real inroads into Canada and challenging the CFLs place, CFL clubs might even start jumping ship. (If nothing else, RL offers an international game that American Football cannot match)

If the CFL was ever to revert back to RL rules (very long distant prospect, at best) this kind of club association would be the first step in that path...

Maybe

Having said that, the CFL could genuinely revert back to RL rules one day; up until the forward pass came in in 1929, the rules were so similar to RL they could have been incorporated by the RLIF) and RL is the safest verion of Gridiron goin around (with the concussion problems in the sport, the status quo cannot hold long term).

And, with RL and CFL going for practically the same market, if RL does start to make real inroads into Canada and challenging the CFLs place, CFL clubs might even start jumping ship. (If nothing else, RL offers an international game that American Football cannot match)

If the CFL was ever to revert back to RL rules (very long distant prospect, at best) this kind of club association would be the first step in that path...

Maybe Eric Perez could tap into the whole CFL thing.

 

[Hello, I'm The Doctor]

Maybe the most ridiculous thing I've ever read on this forum.

Why?

CFL played RL before they introduced the forward pass in 1929 and branched off; infact, Canada introduced RL rules (play-the-ball, limited tackles, 10-meter rules) back when NU was still playing RFU rules. (Yep, Canada might have invented RL)

Take away the forward pass, and their game would be almost indistinguishable from pre-1960s RL. Stand the Defence back 10m and remove the 3-and-10 rule, and Canadian Football becomes more similar to RL than Touch, 9s or Tag; all of which we call "versions of Rugby League"

The games are demonstrably similar and the CFLs roots are RL. The only question is "why would they want to change", to which the obvious answer is "concussions".

As long as CFL and NFL have forward passes, their players will need helmets for protection. But as long as they have helmets, defenders will lead tackles with their head. Once the Concussion issues become too much for the sport (or sooner, if they want to save their reputation) the sports will need to be reformed for safety.

Rugby League is the safety form of Contact Gridiron that currently exists. There is a fairly good chance that, with some pushing, CFL and even NFL will eventually reform their rules to look something like RL. And forget the pro-games, where players are payed millions to get hurt; how much longer are parents going to send their kids to play such a dangerous sport. RL is the safer form of the game they love (like someone who plays Touch Football because either boddy isnt up to Tackle)....

 

[Canard]

Why?

CFL played RL before they introduced the forward pass in 1929 and branched off; infact, Canada introduced RL rules (play-the-ball, limited tackles, 10-meter rules) back when NU was still playing RFU rules. (Yep, Canada might have invented RL)

Take away the forward pass, and their game would be almost indistinguishable from pre-1960s RL. Stand the Defence back 10m and remove the 3-and-10 rule, and Canadian Football becomes more similar to RL than Touch, 9s or Tag; all of which we call "versions of Rugby League"

The games are demonstrably similar and the CFLs roots are RL. The only question is "why would they want to change", to which the obvious answer is "concussions".

As long as CFL and NFL have forward passes, their players will need helmets for protection. But as long as they have helmets, defenders will lead tackles with their head. Once the Concussion issues become too much for the sport (or sooner, if they want to save their reputation) the sports will need to be reformed for safety.

Rugby League is the safety form of Contact Gridiron that currently exists. There is a fairly good chance that, with some pushing, CFL and even NFL will eventually reform their rules to look something like RL. And forget the pro-games, where players are payed millions to get hurt; how much longer are parents going to send their kids to play such a dangerous sport. RL is the safer form of the game they love (like someone who plays Touch Football because either boddy isnt up to Tackle)....

There is not "a fairly good chance" that a culture will suddenly jettison an entrenched 100 year old sport in favour of another.

Imagine if League suddenly became Union because thats what we were derived from.

Concussion is still a thing in the Rugby codes in case you missed it

 

[Albert Rosenfeld]

If Perez continues his successful moves then north American rugby league will recruit more quality Aussies and turn the NRL into a feeder league for the north American clubs.

Then maybe the NRL will wake up about the need to expand in NZ and PNG, not to mention Perth.

 

[Hello, I'm The Doctor]

There is not "a fairly good chance" that a culture will suddenly jettison an entrenched 100 year old sport in favour of another.

Imagine if League suddenly became Union because thats what we were derived from.

Not a fair comparison.

RL and RU are direct rivals. But rules evolve all of the time, and more often than not the new rules are inspired by foreign games

As i said, it is likely that RL was founded in North America (Walter Camp in the US and Burnside in Canada). Given that the idea of giving points for a Try originated in the US and was picked up by the RFU its not a stretch to think the NU went further and took other innovations.\

Hell, you say "sports dont jettison tradition to follow other sports". The reason the RL doesnt play RL today is because they did EXACTLY THIS by following College Football with the forward pass.

Concussion is still a thing in the Rugby codes in case you missed it

Yeh, but it is rare in our sport.

In American/Canadian Football, the blockers are lucky not to get a minor concussion every play.

 

[Canard]

As i said, it is likely that RL was founded in North America (Walter Camp in the US and Burnside in Canada. Given that the idea of giving points for a Try originated in the US and was picked up by the RFU its not a stretch to think the NU went further and took other innovations.

Are you for real with the claim that League was "invented" in the US?

If you genuinely believe that the North American football codes will suddenly be replaced by Rugby League, because of a semi-pro side in Toronto I genuinely worry about your sanity.

 

[Jatz15]

Eric Perez has developed and broadcast his own rugby league TV show on Canadian TV for quite a few years (awareness levels of this fact in Australia is virtually zero), established a team in Toronto with games shown live on Canada’s equivalent of our ABC and on pay TV, has an airline sponsor that covers their travel costs and easily achieved all his other publicly stated goals this year.

If he says that their turnover will be greater than the NRL, his track record shows he should be taken seriously.

Reality is, RL in Canada is smaller, by some margin, than Australian football is. It has smaller leagues, in fewer provinces, and isn't as old. They do have a millionaire backer that AFL doesn't, but they still need to expand for some time to equal the CAFL, and if anyone suggested that Australian football in Canada was ever going to become something of significance, people would rightly fall of their chairs laughing.

Perspective people.

 

[Coparugby]

Reality is, RL in Canada is smaller, by some margin, than Australian football is. It has smaller leagues, in fewer provinces, and isn't as old. They do have a millionaire backer that AFL doesn't, but they still need to expand for some time to equal the CAFL, and if anyone suggested that Australian football in Canada was ever going to become something of significance, people would rightly fall of their chairs laughing.

Perspective people.

He was referring to the near future, not today.
Today he has live nation wide broadcasts on both pay tv and the Canadian equivalent of our ABC, 7000 plus crowd and and Airline sponsor.

On a podcast an official with the Wolfpack recently that companies in the UK have also invested around £250,000 into the club to try and get North American exposure for their companies.

Interviews on some of Canada’s biggest sports shows.

Publicised attendance by political leaders.

Weekly Canadian media attention during the season in a wide range of Canadian publications.

A queue of millionaires wanting to invest in more professional teams.

Yet you’ll still write that because AFL has a few dozen unknown pub teams in Canada it is well ahead of rugby league?

 

[Canard]

Reality is, RL in Canada is smaller, by some margin, than Australian football is. It has smaller leagues, in fewer provinces, and isn't as old. They do have a millionaire backer that AFL doesn't, but they still need to expand for some time to equal the CAFL, and if anyone suggested that Australian football in Canada was ever going to become something of significance, people would rightly fall of their chairs laughing.

Perspective people.

Yeh, this isn't the forum for an AFL troll.

I think the belief that League can replace the native Football code ridiculous.

But to claim that some overweight ex-pat Aussies playing park Aussie Rules is bigger then Rugby League is laughably stupid.

 

[POPEYE]

If Perez continues his successful moves then north American rugby league will recruit more quality Aussies and turn the NRL into a feeder league for the north American clubs.

Then maybe the NRL will wake up about the need to expand in NZ and PNG, not to mention Perth.

What percentage of Nth Americans would Perez need to turn up to games and what amount of tv exposure would he need to match the NRL's money making . . . have you done the maths

 

[T-Boon]

The Wolfpack should sign Anthony Mundine.

 

[Coparugby]

If Perez continues his successful moves then north American rugby league will recruit more quality Aussies and turn the NRL into a feeder league for the north American clubs.

Then maybe the NRL will wake up about the need to expand in NZ and PNG, not to mention Perth.

If it’s successful (a big “If” too) then they won’t be after just players from the NRL. They’ll want coaches and other staff too.