that.

"If we take it on the chin, it is never a bad thing to be humbled early on, to keep you grounded for when you are on a winning run later.

"To us, these two matches are test matches. We are testing ourselves against the very best in the Northern Hemisphere. With no disrespect, we are operating on a different plane to the other clubs in our division. We want to set ourselves above those clubs from day one and what better way than this."

The sport has experienced exponential growth in Canada since 2010. The Canadian women's team have qualified for the 2017 World Cup, while the men's national team – the Canada Wolverines – have recently moved into the top 12 in the world rankings.

With a soon-to-be-announced CanadianIreland and more. I can't announce the Canada one yet, but it is a big one and we are super exicted."

It is expected Toronto's home ground Lamport Stadium – to be renamed 'The Den' – will attract average crowds of over 8,000 fans and the Wolfpack will garner attention and popularity across the country and beyond.

"Rugby league is the easiest sport to understand for the North American fan, because it is the predecessor to American Football," Perez said.

"Anyone who watches a few sets of rugby league can pick up the basics straight away. It makes sense. That is the key. The pace, the hard-hitting nature, the non-stop action, the whole ambiance speaks to our very psyche as a country.

"I think we'll see the Toronto Wolfpack inspiring a genesis