A few years ago, I wrote an article detailing why the league should start playing some games abroad bringing games to Europe after the success of the NFL series in London. This may soon become reality for CFL fans, although not in Europe, after rumours about plans to play two games next year in Mexico. The belief is that these games could attract up to 50,000 which would be fantastic news for the CFL in broadening their brand on the international stage as well as benefitting their teams, specifically the ones who will take part in this experiment. One team that has been mooted is the Toronto Argonauts which does seem like a sensible suggestion given their struggles to attract a crowd to their home games in what is a sport-mad city. This move would help grow their popularity with international fans and if this proves to be a success may attract a bigger audience back in Toronto.
If these games in Mexico prove to be a resounding success, then I would love to see the CFL bring games to the UK after the NFL has been a huge success here. Alternatively, the CFL could reach out to Germany or the Netherlands, for example, given the popularity of the NFL and the history they had with the now defunct NFL Europe franchises. Of course, one factor that needs to be considered is the size of pitch which tends to be bigger than a lot of European Football (Soccer) stadiums. However, CFL would be able to fit into stadiums that accommodate rugby, meaning there are numerous possibilities in Europe to host CFL games which would allow the CFL to break down barriers and enter a new market. Think about it. Imagine if the new franchise in Halifax (in this instance, the Atlantic Schooners) play at Murrayfield in Scotland which is their rugby stadium. It is a great venue and it makes sense giving that the team is from the Nova Scotia area, which of course translates as New Scotland, so it does have history. Also, it is worth pointing out that Murrayfield has previously hosted NFL with ex-NFL Europe team Scottish Claymores playing a number of seasons in the city of Edinburgh, (So Scotland’s capital city welcoming CFL would not be an issue.) This would act as an alternative to London hosting the NFL, giving people an opportunity to see a different sport in another part of the UK. Another option for a host city in the UK to have a CFL game would be Milton Keynes as the stadium within the city has hosted rugby games in the past, including a number of games from the 2015 Rugby World Cup, so the city has the infrastructure to handle major sporting events. If the CFL is to reach out further and increase brand awareness, then games across various countries can only help rather than hinder. Also, I believe that if they manged to increase their fanbase in other countries, thus leading to increased sales in merchandise and over time more investment from numerous sources, might see wage increases for the CFL athletes. More money for the players within the league is paramount to increasing the reputation and attracting more players to have a sustained career in the CFL. Of course, these internationals will not rival the NFL but would be a great way to showcase their product and show people what they’re missing out on.
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