Whats doing in Canada?

[Foreign Legion]

Workington and Whitehaven could face Canada opposition

By Tony Harrison
Published at 20:41, Saturday, 11 October 2014

RUGBY LEAGUE EXCLUSIVE: WORKINGTON Town and Whitehaven could soon be lining up against Canadian opposition, should a bid from a Toronto-based consortium come to fruition.
The seven-man consortium has put forward an application to join the Rugby Football League and the subject was well-received at a meeting of Championships representatives in Leeds.
One of the seven businessmen in the consortium, Eric Perez, told News & Star Sport: “Rugby league didn’t exist in Canada four years ago.
“In 2010, my business partner and I were working in Birmingham. We watched the game on Sky TV and thought what an incredible game this is – the best.
“When we returned home, without any supporters, players, kit or stadium we challenged the USA to a game. And within six weeks, we got together the players and lost the game by just one try in front of 1,200 spectators.
“From there, the game has gone from strength-to-strength.
“We are now averaging almost 7,000 for every Test and have our own TV programme ‘The Rugby League Show’ which has 90,000 viewers every week and 170,000 per Test match,” he added.
“We have excellent corporate sponsorship deals with companies such as Fosters (brewery) and Booster Juice (a giant Canadian smoothies company) and a lot of people will look at this and think ‘How are teams going to be able to afford to play in Canada’. The answer to that is easy – it will not cost them a penny.
“We will fly them out on a Thursday, play on Saturday and they will fly back on Sunday, all expenses paid.
“And they will even have the chance to make money – we will give each club a block of seats in the stand, and any ticket money that’s made will go back to the club.
“It’s an opportunity for the clubs to offer travel packages and make money.
“We are also offering to sponsor the competition to the tune of £200,000.”
The consortium has been working on the proposal with the RFL for more than 12 months and coming into the game at League One level is not going to put the dampeners on the application.
Perez added: “Going into League One can give us time to build, find our feet, gain promotion and prove our worth to the game. We would stay in the UK for a block of six or seven games and then travel home to play six or seven games there.
“The idea of promotion and relegation is intriguing to Canadian fans. We don’t have that here. All the major sports, ice hockey, baseball, basketball and Major League Soccer, are franchise-lead. Sometimes teams don’t worry about doing so well because they know they’ll be there in the league next season.”
Town vice-chairman Mark Fryer was excited at the proposal, and said: “I’ve spoken to Eric and he has a passion for the game.
“They have some serious business backing and it could be a fantastic opportunity for rugby league itself.
“I’m positive about it but we have to be realistic and work it through.
“The worst thing that can happen is for them to gain membership and be gone in a couple of years.”
An RFL spokesman said: “We have received an application from a Canadian consortium to enter a team into League 1 [the current Championship 1] in the 2016 season.
“The consortium delivered a presentation to the Championship clubs at a meeting in Leeds, on Wednesday, which was well-received by the club representatives present.
“The RFL will now produce a report into the proposal for consideration by the governing body’s independent board of directors who will make the final decision.”

http://www.newsandstar.co.uk/sport/...ehaven-could-face-canada-opposition-1.1168009

 

[Craigo]

Wow, that would be amazing if it came off

 

[byrner]

Very interesting! Hope it comes off.

 

[Evil Homer]

Seems pretty ridiculous to me considering the level and nature of Championship 1.

 

[ParraEelsNRL]

Some decent figures watching the game in Canada, not really interested in them joining any other comp bar the local in Canada or if a North American comp kicked off.

“We are now averaging almost 7,000 for every Test and have our own TV programme ‘The Rugby League Show’ which has 90,000 viewers every week and 170,000 per Test match,” he added.

Wow, that gives a few sports we have out here on foxsports a run for their money and they are pro sports.

 

[Sydney Knight]

Might be pie in the sky who knows? But these guys in Canada are doing an awesome job whatever happens.

 

[biggestbroncosfan]

Seems pretty ridiculous to me considering the level and nature of Championship 1.

got to agree with Evil Homer about the level and nature of Championship 1, most clubs wouldn't be able to make the trip to Canada i.e; South Wales, Coventry, Hemel, Gloucestershire.. it doesn't seem ridiculous at least they are setting the right goals and intention to progress their players further. Would be interesting if accepted.

 

[WaznTheGreat]

Canada has got dis

 

[Foreign Legion]

I cant see how it would work? but hay why not

 

[pHyR3]

Surely a combined USARL/AMNRL (has that happened?) comp would be stronger than 3rd tier in england.

And it would be so much closer/cheaper travel wise. They should join that in my opinion. But having a canadian team in the SL in the future would be pretty amazing.

 

[langpark]

It all sounds a bit suspicious and far too sudden. Did he say they would even pay the expenses of the English teams coming out to play? Where is the money coming from and why are they willing to just throw it away like that!? (there's no way they'll get a return off this)...

 

[pHyR3]

It all sounds a bit suspicious and far too sudden. Did he say they would even pay the expenses of the English teams coming out to play? Where is the money coming from and why are they willing to just throw it away like that!? (there's no way they'll get a return off this)...

They have sponsors and strong ratings.

By playing in a recognised comp in the UK it will build their profile and hopefully allow admission into 2nd tier and eventually the SL.

 

[elbusto]

Is John Ribot involved?

 

[langpark]

They have sponsors and strong ratings.

By playing in a recognised comp in the UK it will build their profile and hopefully allow admission into 2nd tier and eventually the SL.

Ok, they have sponsors and strong ratings. But seriously, stop and calculate for a minute the sheer cost of flying 20+ people from Canada to UK and vic versa, this is over 20 trips plus accommodation etc...

Not even a Super League club could afford this, let alone a Canadian team that started just a few years ago...

I admire ambition, but there's no way! Best as someone said earlier, try and make a strong North American League...

 

[pHyR3]

Ok, they have sponsors and strong ratings. But seriously, stop and calculate for a minute the sheer cost of flying 20+ people from Canada to UK and vic versa, this is over 20 trips plus accommodation etc...

Not even a Super League club could afford this, let alone a Canadian team that started just a few years ago...

I admire ambition, but there's no way! Best as someone said earlier, try and make a strong North American League...

say a thousand dollars a person round trip, 20 people for 20 games comes out to $400,000 a year.

a pretty hefty sum. you're right, it does seem a bit excessive. they have 2 reasonably big sponsors and perhaps a moderately wealthy businessman backing them?

They'd also expect to draw say 5 thousand a game, at around $10 a head. And get a reasonable amount of viewers for home games broadcast in canada.

 

[roughyedspud]

i love how canadian RL has come along but this is daft...

they need to work with the americans and develop the sport in north american,they need to develop their leagues,they need to develop a junior structures....

what they don't need to do is waste money with this daft idea....and shame on the RFL for even entertaining it!

 

[langpark]

say a thousand dollars a person round trip, 20 people for 20 games comes out to $400,000 a year.

a pretty hefty sum. you're right, it does seem a bit excessive. they have 2 reasonably big sponsors and perhaps a moderately wealthy businessman backing them?

They'd also expect to draw say 5 thousand a game, at around $10 a head. And get a reasonable amount of viewers for home games broadcast in canada.

ok, another expense to factor in, is player payments. Because if guys are having to take off for four days every fortnight, no full-time job would put up with that, so they would need to be compensated by becoming semi-pro players... I'm always the optimist, but this will not and should not happen...

Invest the money in your juniors, that will bring the biggest returns!

 

[winnyason]

Look i am a little sceptical on concept, currently canada has 10 clubs. Now maybe a conference north america, the usarl is on the up with tv coverage of there grand final.
Jamacia seems to have huge potential watched there game v canada this year improved alot, they are big units.
Canada needs to continue to develop, i think any other additions to rfl p &r should be new areas of england, or expansion teams from wales, scotland, ireland and the toulouse bid.
The thing that concerns me is how postive the rfl are to the idea yet mention toulouse and everyone disappears it seems the elephant in the room.

 

[langpark]

I think Toulouse have everything in place EXCEPT a stadium. Had they solved that, they'd be in already. I'm pretty sure that's all that's holding them back...

 

[miguel de cervantes]

^ Toulouse are apparently getting a stadium.

Agree with most comments. Invest in a joint USARL-CRL comp. Makes so much more sense and surely playing teams like New York and Boston is more enticing than Whitehaven and Workington. The USARL should be intervening here immediately and saying, wait up, let's work together. If they could muster some sponorship from their side it would be an awesome competition and the seeds of an American pro-league that everyone has dreamt of for so long. If this whole thing is fair-dinkum this could be the chance to get it going, and yet they want to play in Championship 1 in northern England.

If they really want to play some English sides, at the end of the USARL-CRL season pay for a few to come over and play a Transatlantic Challenge Cup or something.