Numbers
The first issue is the obvious one, that attendances are lowest at matches where Catalans, Toulouse, or Toronto are the visitors. This is the premise upon which all the other arguments hinge.
A cursory glance at the available attendance figures across the Super League and Championship this season reveals that this truism isn’t actually true. Finding crowd numbers for a few teams can be a bit problematic, however, as not all clubs publish them consistently, and even the RFL official website is lacking in this area.
In the case of Catalans and Toulouse, many clubs report similar attendance figures whether it’s the French or English teams, and some declare even fewer attending when certain teams based in England are the opponent. They don’t draw the largest crowds by any means, but neither do they draw the fewest fans to the game.
As for the Toronto Wolfpack, their arrival has actually boosted attendances significantly at some English venues. Rather than fewer attending, as might have been predicted, their presence seems to draw spectators. In fact, Toronto has been the biggest ‘draw’ for a number of Championship sides, and certainly average or higher at the rest.
So just who is going to see Wolfpack? Considering the cost of accommodations and flights from Toronto, not to mention the time involved, there can’t be many making the trip from Canada. There were certainly some who flew over at Magic Weekend and Summer Bash, as well as a handful at other games – I’ve had the pleasure of speaking with them about their experiences, and seeing the video and photographic evidence.
There is the Canadian ex-pat community, people who have lived in England for many years in some cases, and who have taken to supporting the Wolfpack. The team has been marketing to this group, with some modest results.
Then there are those who claim the Wolfpack as their ‘second team’. They see what’s happening as a breath of fresh air, and are hopeful that this upstart team will prove to be a positive for rugby league in the long run.
My personal favourite group are those who have self-identified as disaffected former rugby league supporters. They turned away from the sport for a while for various reasons, often related to the negativity that can be found within it, or due to a sense of frustration with the seeming lack of change. Some have quite openly said that Toronto’s entry into the RFL has brought them back. It’s exciting, and brings a sense of optimism and hope. Often these fans have a soft spot for London, Catalans, and Toulouse as well.
When mentioning these supporters, critics occasionally take to shifting the goalposts as the facts don’t support the position they’ve already chosen to argue. For example, one exchange I’ve taken part in went something like this:
A: Toronto don’t bring any fans to our ground.
C: Your club’s figures show that match was one of your best attended.
A: People only came because of the novelty. They’ll stop once it wears off.
C: There are a number of English people who claim Toronto as their second team, and they go to the Toronto matches in England.
A: They don’t count because they’re not Canadian. Toronto needs to bring Canadians to our ground.
C: Some of the people who go are Canadian. Either living in England, or they flew over as part of a holiday.
A: Well, none of the Wolfpack players are Canadian.
C: One is. Quinn Ngawati.
A: One!!! Is that all? You need a whole team.
C: Yes. For now. Give it time.
A: If they don’t bring supporters or players or money they can get lost.
And that segues nicely into the next issue, club revenue.
