- Video
-
Club Roar
Captured a great grassroots sporting moment? We want to see it!Content Collections
The Roar Community
- Join
- Login
The Canadian national rugby team have come from behind to beat main rivals the USA 28-22 in front of 10,621 fans at BMO Field, Toronto. What was intriguing beyond the match itself but the attention it pulled compared to previous encounters.
The match was broadcast live on TSN, the same network that broadcasts NHL and NFL for Canadian audiences.
No more Setanta which was a stand-alone channel probably bought mostly by ex-pats craving European football.
Being on TSN exposes casual Canadian audiences to the sport of rugby and to the national team. A quick search of “rugby tsn” on Twitter resulted in comments like:
“Watching int’l Rugby match between CAN & US on TSN. For me, this is SO much more entertaining than CFL or NFL brand pointyball”.
“Don’t know much about rugby. Watching Can USA on TSN. I do know its violent.”
“Again. Great job TSN at this rugby game. I’m learning a lot”
Major Canadian news companies like CBC, The Globe and the National Post had news of the Canadian win in their sports headlines.
The match being played at BMO Field, a rectangular and larger stadium compared to previous locations, also helped boost the game’s profile.
The crowd of 10,621 might seem small to some but is impressive between two low-ranked sides playing in a country where rugby has not been on the national radar. It shows two rugby teams below the ranking of 15 can draw a five-figure crowd.
Canadian rugby has been going nowhere for the last decade but they now have a surge of interest. Let’s see if they can start making some metres and push forward into a new era.
Join The Roar rugby editor Christy Doran, former Wallaby Matt Toomua and a cast of regular and special guests as they look at the biggest issues in the game on The Roar Rugby Podcast. If you’re looking for great odds on the next game check out Aussie bookmaker PlayUp. Chances are you’re about to lose. Set a deposit limit.