Netherlands bid to host Toronto Wolfpack Super League match in 2020

Drew Darbyshire 25 Oct 2019 8:41 AM

Netherlands have submitted a bid to host a Toronto Wolfpack ‘home’ fixture in 2020, with venues in Rotterdam and Amsterdam being considered.

The Canadian club are set to take games ‘on the road’ at the start of the 2020 season due to the cold climate in Toronto, and the Wolfpack are currently considering their options of where to take the games – Dublin and Barcelona have previously been mentioned.

The Netherlands Rugby League Bond have made a bid to host one of Toronto’s Super League ‘home’ fixtures. Two venues have been proposed – the 11,000-capacity Sparta Stadion Het Kasteel, The Castle, in Rotterdam and the NCRA Stadium in Amsterdam, which holds 6,000 spectators.

NRLB competitions manager, Matt Rigby, commented: “I am really excited that we have the foundations to table an exciting bid to bring the Toronto Wolfpack to either of two of Europe’s biggest and best cities.

“We believe hosting a professional rugby league event in the Netherlands would be a huge lift in our development and are hopeful of receiving their approval.”

Netherlands head coach, Kane Krlic, added: “Over the past five years the NRLB has grown at a rapid rate.

“The player pool, amount of clubs and skill levels have all increased during the period and that has led to a greater appreciation for rugby league in the Netherlands.

“If we could bring a professional match here, I firmly believe that it would not only accelerate our development but also be a major event for the enthusiastic Dutch sporting public, as well as travelling fans from the UK.”

Should the Wolfpack take up Netherlands’ offer, it would see Super League play in an eighth country – after being staged in England, Wales, Scotland, France, Australia, Spain and Canada to date.