There is a wealth of sporting opportunity and experience to be had in Toronto. With teams in each of their southern neighbour’s major leagues, save for the NFL, Torontonians can experience some of the biggest and best sports leagues in the world…
- Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment (MLSE) might just be the most forward thinking sports and entertainment holding company in the world. They count Toronto’s four major sports franchises within their ownership, as well as either owning or operating the city’s main sports and entertainment venues. So, if you’re watching Toronto FC and Argonauts at BMO Field, or Toronto Raptors and Maple Leafs at Scotiabank Arena, it’s a bit of a one-stop shop. Not only are these venues, and more, used for sport, they’re concert and exhibition venues.
- Toronto is basketball mad, with the Raptors winning the NBA play-off finals for the first time in their history in 2019. Formed in 1995 as part of the NBA’s expansion into Canada, they remain Canada’s only NBA side after the Vancouver Grizzlies relocated to Memphis. Musician Drake is their most famous fan, and was announced as the side’s official ambassador in 2013. His role is non-descriptive, but it does appear to include courtside seats for life and his own section of the Raptors website – Drake Zone.
June 13, 2019 - History was made. #WeTheNorth pic.twitter.com/t0czma73WB
— Toronto Raptors (@Raptors) June 15, 2019
- Ice hockey in Canada is big, really big, and is home to the two most successful Stanley Cup franchises in the NHL – Montreal Canadians and Toronto’s very own Maple Leafs. The Leafs have 13 cups to their name, but they’ve not won the biggest prize in the sport since 1967.
- When a new season of the Canadian Football League (CFL) starts, Toronto goes Argonauts crazy. The Argos, as they’re known to their feverous fan base, play in the East Division and are the record holders for the number of Grey Cups they hold – 17. They also have one of the longest histories in world sport; founded in 1873, they’re oldest existing professional sports team in North America.
The Toronto Argonauts have one of the longest histories in world sport; founded in 1873, they’re oldest existing professional sports team in North America.
- Rugby league in Canada. Yes, you read that right. Soon Toronto Wolfpack will be travelling to northern England on a regular basis, with promotion to the Super League in 2019 looking likely after just missing out to London Broncos in 2018. What’s remarkable is that the team was only founded in 2016. Unsurprisingly, the Wolfpack are Canada’s first and only professional rugby league side, and as a condition of them joining the RFL league system, they initially had to pay the travelling costs of all teams that visit Toronto that don’t play in the Super League.
New York’s Red Bull Arena, Atlanta’s brand new Mercedes-Benz Stadium, Toronto FC’s BMO Field and the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG) play host to the Global Institute of Sport hubs, enabling students and graduates to enhance their knowledge and expertise of the international sports industry.
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The Global Insight Series is a thought leadership series, exclusively collated and made available for all UCFB & GIS on-campus and online students. The series provides unprecedented access to our elite sports network.
