Saturday, 4 May 2019

Toronto Wolfpack 36, Bradford Bulls 16, Lamport Stadium, Toronto, ON

The Toronto Wolfpack RLFC is a Canadian professional rugby league club, based in here Toronto, which competes in the British Rugby Football League system.  In 2018, the club competed in the Championship, having begun to play in 2017 in League 1 and won a promotion in its inaugural season.  Gord and I have been going to the most of the games since 2017 and have been season ticket holders for the last two years.

The club is noted as being the first North American team to play in the Rugby Football League system, the first fully professional rugby league team in Canada and the world's first transatlantic rugby league team.  Their home stadium is Lamport Stadium (aka "The Den"), which is just a couple blocks from where Gord and I live.

Today the Wolfpack (11 wins/1 loss) were playing the Bradford Bulls (8 wins/4 losses).  The day started out grey and drizzling but the sun came out later on.

There was a singer outside Lamport Stadium as we were entering.


Our friends, Rona and Jacob, joined us.  It's the first time they'd been to a Wolfpack game.  They'd parked their car in the lot just south of the field and marveled at how they were able to get such a good spot ... until they realized that when the ball is kicked through the goal post, it could keep going to the parking lot and hit their car.  So they (Jacob especially) were nervous every time this happened.  Ha!  Don't worry ... their car was fine.

Rona, me, Gord and Jacob

The teams huddled before the game began.


Jefferson, the Wolfpack mascot, was roaming around the field.


The Wolfpack Dance Squad entertained.


Here come the Wolfpack players!


God Save the Queen and O Canada were sung before the game.


 And the game began ...


At the end of the first half, the score was 14 - 12 for the Wolfpack.

Gordo made a brief appearance

The second half began ...

During one of Gaz's kicks, the ball went through the goal post and kept
going and hit a streetcar on King Street W ... the crowd cheered even more!

Section 35 is the Wolfpack's unofficial cheering section.


There were hundreds of Bradford fans on the east side ... they were loud and enthusiastic.  Apparently Wolfpack owner David Argyle gave out 500 cans of beer to the "away" fans and shook hands.  Right on!


There were 8,363 in attendance.

Looking east

The Wolfpack won 36 - 16.  Yay!


The Bradford players thanked their fans.


Everyone is happy to see Liam Kay back from injury and no doubt he's happy too!


As usual, the beer gardens is a popular place during and after the game.

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