TORONTO — The Toronto Wolfpack will open the Super 8s playoffs July 30 at the York City Knights with two more away games to come before four straight at home.
The first-year Wolfpack (15-0-0) topped the regular-season standings in the Kingstone Press League 1, the third tier of English rugby league.
Under Rugby Football League rules, the 16-team league is split into two after each team has played the other. The top eight take part in the Super 8s, bidding for two promotion spots to the second-tier Championship. The bottom eight meet to contest the League 1 Shield.
In the Super 8s, the top four teams get four home games while the bottom four have three home fixtures.
The teams carry forward their regular-season points with the top team after the Super 8s winning automatic promotion. The other promotion spot will be decided via a four-team playoff: No. 2 versus against No. 5 and No. 3 versus No. 4, with the winners playing off for the prize.
Toronto, which enters the Super 8s with a three-point lead over Whitehaven, faces eighth-place Workington Town (7-7-1) on Aug. 6 after fourth-place York (10-5-0). The Wolfpack wrap up the away portion of the schedule Aug. 23 at the seventh-place Keighley Cougars (7-7-1).
The Super 8s homestand starts Aug. 9 against the sixth-place Newcastle Thunder (9-6-0), followed by games against second-place Whitehaven (13-1-1) on Sept. 2, the third-place Barrow Raiders (12-2-1) on Sept. 9 and fifth-place Doncaster RLFC (9-4-2) on Sept. 16.
Toronto, a fully professional side playing against semi-pro opposition, outscored those seven teams 386-95 during the regular season.
The Wolfpack, rugby's first transatlantic team, wanted to start higher up the rugby league ladder but were forced to begin life in the third tier.
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Toronto Wolfpack Super 8s schedule (all times ET)
July 30: Toronto Wolfpack at York City Knights, 10 a.m.
Aug. 6: Toronto Wolfpack at Workington Town, 10 a.m.
Aug: 13: Toronto Wolfpack at Keighley Cougars, 10 a.m.
Aug. 19: Newcastle Thunder at Toronto Wolfpack, 4:30 p.m.
Sept. 2: Whitehaven at Toronto Wolfpack, 4:30 p.m.
Sept: 9: Barrow Raiders at Toronto Wolfpack, 4.30 p.m.
Sept. 16: Doncaster RLFC at Toronto Wolfpack, 4:30 p.m.
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Neil Davidson, The Canadian Press
