TORONTO Wolfpack’s home game against Toulouse on May 19 is to be transferred 5,472 km to Newcastle, England, according to reports this morning.
The Championship match is the second scheduled this year for Lamport Stadium, which is undergoing extensive refurbishments. The first is the week before, against Swinton.
Instead of taking to the field in Toronto’s Liberty Village precinct, the Wolfpack and Toulouse Olympique will play at St James’ Park in Newcastle as part of the annual ‘Magic Weekend’ involving Super League clubs.
League Express magazine reported on Monday morning that two Championship sides would provide a seventh match for the weekend. Although no records are kept of club rugby league game relocations, it’s hard to imagine one ever covering such a vast distance.
Super League clubs themselves voted in favour of the extra fixture. Part of the reasoning is to attract more French fans to Newcastle, with Catalans currently the country’s only Super League representative.
The Wolfpack are currently scheduled to play Halifax at a venue to be determined on April 28, Swinton at Lamport a week later and then return across the Atlantic.
They are away for 12 weeks – almost half the season – while work is done on their ground.
