When it comes to sports rugby is second on my personal list of preferred sports to watch, just a smidge behind box lacrosse, and an inch ahead of the Canadian Football League.
So when Major League Rugby and the Toronto Arrows, the lone Canadian team in the league shut down after just five games in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic it was disappointing although expected and wise in retrospect.
But now, as North America stumbles its way toward gaining control of the pandemic, sports are re-launching, and such is the case with the Arrows and MLR, both of which get underway Saturday, with Toronto visiting Rugby ATL (Atlanta).
So on the eve of the league start I caught up with Bill Webb, President and general partner with the team to talk a bit of rugby.
Of course with COVID-19 still a very real threat, the Arrows and MLR face challenges in 2021, but Webb said from a Toronto perspective they were always up to face those challenges.
“From our point of view there was no question we were going to compete ... to do our damnedest to compete,” he said.
With the border restrictions entering Canada requiring an extended quarantine, play at home for the Arrows is not currently on the books, so after starting in Atlanta they will stay in the Georgia city to play their home games.
“We’ll come back (to Toronto) as soon as we’re allowed to do so,” said Webb, adding that will depend on the time required in crossing the border. “If we need to stay for the whole season we’ll stay.”
It’s not exactly unusual for Toronto to spend extended time on the road. In 2019, the team’s first in the MLR the Arrows started the season with eight road games.
This time, it might actually be easier, added Webb, noting in 2019 they were travelling to and from games for those eight weeks, while this time they will be ‘at home’ for at least some of them, staying in Atlanta.
“If any team was well-positioned for something like this we feel it was us,” he said.
On a broader stage, Webb said the MLR felt it was important to have a season, to build on the base it has been establishing since launching in 2018.
“There was a real commitment among all owners to make it work ... It was very important to keep the momentum going,” he said, adding that was contingent of doing it safely, and with other sport leagues providing something of a template, they feel they are able to do that. “... We’re not the first ones to do it.”
Playing this season was also important for both the Canadian and American national teams as it gives players likely to make those rosters a chance to play competitive games ahead of those national teams beginning playing games this September and October to qualify for the 2023 World Cup in France.
“There are a lot of players on our team from the Canadian team,” noted Webb. “It’s important they get some time playing rugby ahead of the World Cup games.”
The MLR is important for both countries in that regard. When the World Cup began allowing professional players in 1995 “the rest of the world moved ahead of us,” said Webb. With the MLR active North American players now have a high level pro league to develop in.
The Arrows have more than 25 Canadian players in its roster, and there are some 50-plus in the league overall.
“Think of how much better off we are as a country,” said Webb.
So if the Arrows are good for Canadian rugby, would a second team in this country be better? Is an often rumoured MLR team in Vancouver likely?
Sadly, it doesn’t sound like it is, at least no time soon, according to Webb.
“A bunch of groups have looked at it, but it’s an expensive proposition ... It’s lot of dough,” he said, adding “this is an American league for all intents and purposes,” and as such is focused on very large markets, and outside of Toronto those don’t really exist in this country.
Webb added there are a number of huge American markets the MLR is likely to look too in the short term; Chicago, Philadelphia and Miami being mentioned.
“There’s some huge commercial markets,” he said.
So how big will the MLR get? They play this year with 12 teams and Dallas is supposed to join in 2022.
Webb said 15 or 16 teams may be the next step, adding in his mind it’s less about numbers and more about ensuring the teams are all “high quality teams with a lot of high quality North American players in it.”
It’s a case of the league growing with care.
“We’ve just got to keep doing what we’re doing,” said Webb. “It’s not growth, it’s quality growth. We just need to do it in a controlled way.”
In the meantime, Canada has the Arrows, and Webb said they want to be the flagship for the growth of the game at the grassroots level across the country, and in growing a fan base too.
“The Arrows want to be Canada’s team. We want to be the Raptors (NBA),” he said, adding he thinks that is happening. “We feel that love ... all the time.”
Arrow games are on TSN, most on cable, and all through online platforms, so check out the season opener this Saturday, March 20.
