Sunday, 22 September 2019

Toronto Wolfpack 40, Toulouse Olympique 24, 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 was the first game of the playoffs and the Wolfpack were playing the Toulouse Olympique.  If the Wolfpack won, their next game would be the final on October 5.  If the Wolfpack lost, they would have to play next Sunday and if they won, they'd play in the final on October 5.  Whoever wins moves up to the Super League.  Needless to say, we were all hoping they'd win.

Here are me and Gord.


The theme of the day was 90s ... can you tell that Zach is a fan?


Penny, Sue and Gord had manicure and pedicures in support of the Wolfpack!

Penny
Sue
Gord

Josh, Gary and their friends sit behind us.


Our friends, Malcolm and Mary joined us.

Gord, Malcolm and Mary

The Wolfpack players gathered before the game.


The Wolfpack Dance Squad entertained


The team flags came out ...


Here come the Wolfpack players!


The national anthems were sung.


And the game began ...

Section 35, the unofficial cheering section
Every time the Wolfpack scored, the guitarist played
The attendance was 9,375
Sue and her friends

The score at the end of the first half was 26 - 6 for the Wolfpack.


The Wolfpack Dance Squad entertained during the intermission.


Some of the crowd played bubble soccer.

Jefferson
Gordo

Then the second half began ...

Zack got interviewed
Fans Roger and Penny

The Wolfpack won 40 - 24.  On to the finals!

Sue showed us her wolf watch

Gord and I headed to the beer garden.

Some Wolfpack players "showered" with a hose
Chairman and interim CEO Bob Hunter
Owner David Argyle
Gord and David Argyle
I ran into a former colleague, Sarah
Wolfpack coach Brian McDermott
Gord and Brian McDermott
A well-deserved rest for some of the Wolfpack players

Toulouse came a long way too lose!  We're looking forward to a Wolfpack win on October 5!

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