The man behind an ambitious bid to introduce a Canadian team into English rugby league has revealed that although no deal has been agreed, talks are ongoing about a side entering as early as next season.

Eric Perez, the chairman of Canada Rugby League, is driving forward the move to have a Toronto-based side play in League 1, the third tier of the domestic structure.

He told the Guardian that despite reports suggesting the deal had been given the go ahead, no move has yet been completed – but they are hopeful of something being agreed soon.

“It’s no big secret that we made a bid for it to happen,” said Perez. “We put a proposal together for a League 1 expansion team in Toronto, and currently we’re still in talks with the Rugby Football League. No deal has been done yet.

“I think the 2016 or 2017 season is our target at the moment. It would have to be determined on when we are approved, and how long it takes to put the deal together. We spoke to the clubs in October; they’re definitely interested in the proposal we put forward. It’s favourable to them because it won’t cost them a penny to come over to Canada. We believe we have pretty much every club’s support in this.”

Every team competing in League 1 is primarily part-time, leading to suggestions that such a long journey is financially unviable. However, the Canadians will fund all aspects of the trip, including flights, accommodation and other costs. They will even provide each club with a batch of tickets to sell which will help clubs turn a profit.

The logistics of travelling to Canada is also something that has been flagged up, but it is understood that they will play their games in blocks of four at home and four away – something Perez says is common for Canadian teams.

“In North American sport it’s common. We have a team in every major sporting league in North America based in Toronto, and when we’re playing a team in Los Angeles it’s a four-hour flight.

“You don’t just go to LA, play them and then come back; you have a West Coast trip – Portland, Seattle – then you come back. It’s standard in North America.

“You couldn’t pick a better city in Canada – Toronto is a former British colony, and we share the same ideals as the people in the north of England do.”

Outside of England, France, Australia and New Zealand, Canada is perhaps the country where rugby league is growing more than anywhere else.

They regularly attract bigger crowds than other countries for international games, and Perez says the style of the sport is what is attracting more and more people to it in Canada.

“We believe in rugby league so much and believe in the potential of it in Canada. It’s been displayed in our figures; we average 6,000 for international matches, the reception has been huge. We have big television numbers, we have our own weekly show which broadcasts all across Canada – and the timing couldn’t be better.

“Outside of your big four, we are the biggest market for the sport – we’ve got the people, the television coverage and the passion. We didn’t get the opportunity to play rugby league here, it was us who brought it into the spotlight. I was visiting Birmingham and saw a rugby league game on television – it blew me away.

“I grew up playing rugby union and the differences in the sports are so obvious. It’s the most Canadian-like sport that didn’t make it to Canada. It’s got the ‘biff’ – the high intensity and the rapid pace.”

Canada have a 2017 World Cup qualifying campaign to look forward to in a bid to reach the tournament for the first time, but Perez is adamant that having a domestic side competing in a league with promotion and relegation – something unheard of in North American sport – would be much bigger.

“The World Cup qualifying is going to be huge, but I think to get a team into League 1 would be exponentially bigger for us. We’re yearning for something like this to happen, and the idea of promotion and relegation is magical to us. If you take any sport that is worth anything and take the best bits, we believe you end up with rugby league.”