Could the Wolfpack help Canada’s World Cup cause?
The Toronto Wolfpack have certainly made a lot of headlines in the UK. Back in 2017, the expansion team was given entry into League 1 back in 2016 (for 2017) under a lot of hype and intrigue. On the pitch, that season was a huge success for the Wolfpack, with the Canadians winning all fifteen league fixtures. In the Super 8 phase, Toronto finished first and gained automatic promotion, eventually winning all but two of their twenty-two games.
This year, the Wolfpack are finding out exactly how much disparity in quality exists between League 1 and the Championship. It’s a step that, with a few good signings, Toronto have taken extremely well.
There can be no doubt that the Wolfpack’s popularity in betting circles is rising meteorically. If Wolfpack can go into the Super League.
The Wolfpack’s recent match against Warrington Wolves is one event which has certainly served to temper enthusiasm within Canadians gearing up for the big time. The Challenge Cup never fails to underline the improvements a lower-league team must make prior to any impending promotion, and the Wolfpack’s 66-10 loss showed the quality gap that they have to make up between now and next year. With another Rugby League World Cup on the way in 2021, the club’s timing in achieving that goal – if they do – could be sublime for Canadian rugby culture.
February 2018: Toronto smash Leigh Centurions in one of many wins to come
While its Union counterpart is a constant presence in the World Cup, the Canadian National Rugby League team is desperate for recognition, having failed to qualify for the World Cup in 2017, prolonging the nation’s wait for a Rugby League World Cup debut. That long-awaited debut will only be made possible via initial changes at grassroots level, and the Wolfpack’s achievements in the coming years could be crucial towards justifying more investment into Canadian Rugby League.
With the Wolfpack now primed to make the next step is securing that Super League place, there is fresh hope that a generation of Canadians will be inspired in years to come.
