As Toronto Wolfpack celebrated promotion to Super League on Saturday, it felt like the culmination of a journey. However, anyone who knows anything about the Canadians will know that this is just the start of something that could change rugby league for ever.

Antagonism in some northern towns towards the Wolfpack will never go away; their being in the top flight for the first time in 2020 could heighten the tension caused by the belief that Canada has no place meddling in rugby league. But it is this kind of myopia away from the pitch that has held back a sport with limitless on-field potential for quite some time.

“We’re just a stepping stone towards further growth,” the Wolfpack’s CEO, Bob Hunter, says. “The USA, more teams in Canada, everywhere ... this is so unique and being in Super League is going to take the profile to the next level. Any exposure for this game is a positive, surely? Why wouldn’t you want that?”

Toronto are already achieving more than many established clubs. A sell-out crowd of nearly 10,000 watched them defeat Featherstone on Saturday to secure promotion, although people at the ground have suggested it was actually approaching 12,000 people inside Lamport Stadium. “We know we can sell games of rugby league out,” Hunter says. “To people in England it may seem strange but Toronto is a sport-mad city.”

The Wolfpack have never been shy in their ambitions to grow rugby league since they were formed three years ago and promotion will ramp up those plans significantly. The club will upgrade their Lamport Stadium over the winter and aim to attract crowds in excess of 10,000 on a weekly basis next year. They will not play only in Canada, either.

The extreme climate in Canada in the early part of the year means they will not actually play at home until mid-April. Their home games before that will be taken on the road. “We’re talking about a double-header with a Super League team in England, and major European cities too,” says Hunter, with Dublin and Copenhagen on their shortlist.

“We may even do training sessions in Florida for a couple of weeks – who knows, maybe even a Super League game in Florida. It’s possible but we’re not totally sure yet. We haven’t nailed down the details but we hope to do our bit and spread the sport as much as we can.”

Any thoughts of a season of consolidation for the Wolfpack in Super League are, unsurprisingly, wide of the mark, too. Matching their off-field ambitions, Hunter says: “The guys are already working hard to be as competitive as possible. We know what we need to improve in our squad and we’re not just going into Super League to make up the numbers.”

Hunter hopes almost 1,000 visiting fans from every Super League club will make the trip in 2020 – in a move that will have economic benefits for the Canadian city, as well as the rugby team.

“We have a very good relationship with the mayor, John Tory. He was here on Saturday and we know that these English rugby fans are not afraid to spend money. The economy in Toronto benefits from it all.”

Does Hunter understand the feeling from some traditionalists that the notion of a Canadian franchise competing against St Helens and Wigan is simply too far-fetched? “It makes sense for us to be here.

We are doing nothing but trying to create more exposure and more profile for this sport. But promotion was just the start.

“We’re achieving everything we want to do and are creating a great story for the game. Who knows where the sport can go from here? Promotion for the Wolfpack could be a real defining moment for rugby league.”

They do not please everyone and they will certainly ruffle plenty of feathers. But Super League had better ready itself because Toronto are ready to make a real noise in 2020.