Plans for rugby league tournament in Toronto next summer
11th March 2020, John Smith's Stadium, Huddersfield, England; Coral Challenge Cup Round 5, Toronto Wolfpack v Huddersfield Giants : Chase Stanley of Toronto Wolfpack poses for a pictures with the fans following the win over Huddersfield Giants
Plans are in place for a short-form tournament to take place in Toronto during the summer of 2022, the Canada Co-Operative Championship Rugby League has announced.
The CCCRL have announced a Western Cost Division, with Vancouver, Calgary and Reginia being the three cities competing in the Western Conference and the three destinations will feature a men’s and women’s competition.
The three West Coat cities were selected by the fans and CCCRL’s board of directors based on their population and market size, potential growth for community participation and current sport landscape. Toronto, Hamilton and Montreal form the East Coast division.
READ: Meet Monte Gaddis: The pioneer of Cleveland Rugby League
The CCCRL say a full 12-team league competition to start in 2023 (six men’s sides and six women’s sides), with plans underway for a short-form tournament to take place in Toronto next summer.
Sandy Domingos-Shipley, VP of Canada Co-Operative Championship Rugby League, said: “Today represents another step forward for all of us at CCCRL and our fans as we continue our efforts to grow and expand the game of rugby league across Canada.
“We are looking forward to developing a grass roots foundation and establish rugby league programs for both men and women in all the cities that make up our league to increase the visibility of the sport throughout Canada and North America.
“Vancouver already has a rich and successful history of rugby league, and we are extremely excited to compliment that and expand on what has already been created in that market.”
The CCCRL were formed by a group of directors and founded in 2020. They say its primary mission is to deliver professional rugby league in Canada and help grow the game.
Toronto Wolfpack entered the RFL pyramid in 2017 and worked their way up to Super League, but dropped out of the top flight last season and failed to gain re-admission into the league.