The Canadian rugby league has announced a major partnership with one of the biggest cultural festivals in North America, the Scotiabank Caribbean Carnival Toronto. Rugby league will become the official sport of the festival - formerly known as Caribana - with a full international between the Wolverines and a Jamaica side preparing for October’s world cup qualifiers on Sunday 31 July.

The game will be played during the Jamaica Day event, the day after the main parade of the festival’s featured weekend. This will be the first time a sport will be played officially at the festival, which has run annually since 1967.  The SCCT is the largest street festival in North America, averaging 1.3 million people on the main weekend each year.  The festival is credited with bringing in half a billion dollars into the Ontario economy every year.

CRL Chairman Eric Perez was delighted with the partnership: "We are absolutely thrilled to be a part of this utterly massive event.  We are also extremely proud to be able to invite the JRLA to play at what will be a historic event. This signals rugby league's entrance into Canadian mainstream pop culture."

"Jamaica will be a good test for us," commented Team Canada Wolverines player-coach Jamie Lester.  "The squad will be ready to perform under pressure, and we will be training hard to win this one for our fans."  There certainly will be pressure as the match will be the biggest rugby league event ever to take place in Canada.

With major expansion plans in the works across the Canada and the Caribbean, Canada Rugby League and Caribbean Carnival Toronto is regarded as an important strategic link by the RLEF.  “The CRL has blazed a trail in recent months,” said general manager Danny Kazandjian. “Combining this partnership with the Scotiabank Caribbean Carnival Toronto and the sport’s recent recognition as a Category Three sport by the Commonwealth Games Federation gives us an important platform on which to make significant inroads in the Caribbean and Americas region in the coming months and years.”

PIC: www.torontocaribbeancarnival.com