On Sunday the Toronto Wolfpack play their second-tier rugby league fixture against Leigh Centurions, in Leigh. But ask David Argyle what his 10-year vision for his club is and the answer is less parochial: “I don’t know, world domination?”

The majority shareholder and founder of the infant club has game-changing plans. The Wolfpack are the only operating transatlantic sports team, playing their Championship home ties at the Toronto Lamport Stadium, while competing as part of the UK-based Rugby Football League. Since Argyle, an Australian who made his millions in the mining industry, formed the club in 2016, they made their professional debut in the third tier in 2017 and came within one win of back-to-back promotions to the Super League last October.

Reaching the Million Pound Game last season, the Championship’s version of the promotional play-off, meant the club were miles ahead of their five-year aim to make the Super League. However, it is a mark of Argyle’s ambition for his bizarre sporting brainchild that he describes the October loss to the London Broncos as “like watching a train derail in slow motion”.

The Wolfpack have no intention of being the RFL’s gimmick, their form last season showed that with 20 wins from 23 regular season games, as does their acquirement of four-time Super League Grand Final-winning head coach of the Leeds Rhinos, Brian McDermott. The fact the club are being associated with rumours that they are close to luring All Blacks union World Cup winner Sonny Bill Williams to Toronto shows they mean business.