Ottawa Aces want to follow Toronto Wolfpack’s footsteps into Super League after confirming they will join League One next season.
Rugby league’s latest bold expansion project will see a team based in the Canadian capital under the stewardship of chairman Eric Perez, one of the key figures behind the launch of the Wolfpack.
Perez bought the licence of Hemel Stags before they left the third tier of the professional game in 2019 to rejoin the amateur ranks, and has relocated them to the other side of the Atlantic.
The Aces have yet to sign a player or appoint a coach - although former Catalans boss Laurent Frayssinous has been linked with the post in an area where an estimated 37 percent of the population speak French.
Perez confirmed their full-time squad will be based initially in England for pre-season from December, and hope to stage their first home game either at the end of March or beginning of April 2021.
Perez has also confirmed a desire to have a Canadian contingent in the Aces squad, a criticism that has been regularly aimed at Toronto.
Perez told a press conference in Ottawa: “Our goal is to one day do what they did and make it to Super League. We’ll do that with patience and hopefully some home-grown talent, and we’ll try and get that in as soon as possible.
“We haven’t signed any players yet, but now that we’ve got our name out there I think there will be a lot of interest and from a perspective coach. We’ll go through that process in the next five to six weeks and officially name a head coach, then the player window opens in June.
“I’m sure the floodgates will open then - it’s an amazing opportunity for players to come here and play.”
Rugby Football League chairman Simon Johnson believes the ambitious project can be a success.
Johnson said: “The Toronto Wolfpack have already shown how their colourful, vibrant and passionate match days can bring rugby league to a new audience.
“Their matches have been an explosion of colour, noise and skill where players get close to the fans. I believe rugby league can feed the passion for top class sport that exists in this city.”
Plans for a third Trans-Atlantic club based in New York will be outlined in Liverpool on Tuesday morning, with their League One entry now expected to take place in 2022.
