One of the best articles I've read about the Wolfpack:
http://www.intelligencer.ca/2017/05/08/czech-points-howlin-with-the-wolfpack
Look out, rugby union.
Here comes rugby league.
The Toronto Wolfpack officially arrived in their home city last Saturday. And, yes, it was with a very resounding bang.
Undefeated in the third division of England Rugby League, the the fledgling Wolfpack — the sport's first-ever transatlantic team — hammered visiting Oxford 62-12 before an enthusiastic crowd of more than 6,000 who turned out on a cold, wet, otherwise dismal day at Lamport Stadium — the older, poorer cousin of BMO Field.
Rugby fans and curious non-rugby onlookers alike whooped it up from start to finish in a raucous block-party atmosphere during a fast-paced Wolfpack romp that featured scintillating runs, crisp ball movement, bone-rattling tackles, plenty of scoring and a late-game brawl that even Don Cherry might've appreciated.
For the uninitiated, union is the older and more popular of the the two rugby codes played in Canada. But make no mistake, with the arrival of the well-financed, slickly-promoted and talent-laden Wolfpack, even staunch supporters of the union game are sitting up and taking notice.
League is played with two less men than union — 13 as opposed to 15 — and with the elimination of lineouts and virtually uncontested scrums that are simply an excuse to put the ball back into play, the game is played at a much faster pace than union with far fewer stoppages. Think of a more violent version of Sevens.
One of the keenest observers in the home-opener crowd was my brother, 55-year-old Karl Svoboda, a former Canadian Rugby Union international who represented his country 24 times in a 10-year career from 1985-95. Svoboda was impressed by what he saw Saturday.
"I thought the game and the event were pretty cool,” said Svoboda. “It was pretty low-key in terms of ticket prices (around $20) and I think they just want to appeal to Toronto rugby fans — no matter the code — and make it affordable. The game was exciting with lots of scoring, which was cool for the fans.
"I will definitely go to another game.”
The Wolfpack are the brainchild of a small group of well-heeled fans of rugby league who believe the game can work here. The fully-professional team is probably playing one division below where it should, but the goal is to eventually take up residence in the English Super League — akin to the NHL in hockey.
The Wolfpack players live and train in England and will make a handful of appearances in Toronto for periodic homestands during the lengthy rugby league season. As part of their mandate to develop the game here, the extended Wolfpace roster contains a couple of Canadian long-term developmental players — including former Belleville Bulldogs standout, Chad Bain, a graduate of Quinte Secondary School.
Wolfpack officials had to be delighted with Saturday's opener. Only one side of the Lamport Stadium stands was open when the match kicked-off, but team officials and security personnel quickly opened the other side when it was evident a larger-than-expected crowd was pouring in — despite the crummy weather.
Across the street at the Wolfpack's souvenir shop, a long lineup of eager fans stretched out onto the sidewalk as supporters crammed inside to purchase Wolfpack baseball caps, T-shirts and scarves. Beleaguered employees still managed to smile as they were forced to occasionally retreat back to the stockroom to retrieve more and more unopened boxes of Wolfpack swag.
Still, they ran out of hats.
At least one fan who missed out on buying a cap, offered to double the money a more fortunate supporter had paid for his.
"Nope,” he said.
Yes, the Toronto Wolfpack have arrived. With a bang.
Hang onto your hats.
