Like his transatlantic rugby league team, Wolfpack co-owner David Argyle calls Toronto home but spends most of the year away.

The 57-year-old Australian, who works in the mining, energy and agriculture sectors often in emerging markets, travels more than 200 days a year. But while passionate about raising the profile of the Wolfpack, Argyle is happy to stay in the background.

“As soon as the focus becomes on the owners, sports clubs can go sideways,” Argyle said in a rare interview. “The focus should be on the team, the coaches, the fans, the sponsors, the broadcast distribution platform.”

“So it’s really the philosophy that (when) an owner has the attention drawn towards them then I think it’s a distraction from where the real energy should be,” he added.

While still a work in progress, the second-year Wolfpack are poised to make history. Having won promotion in 2017 out of the third-tier League 1, Toronto is on the verge of securing promotion to the top-flight Super League after topping the second-tier Betfred Championship during the regular season.

The Wolfpack, currently third in the playoff standings with a 4-2-0 record, wrap up Super 8s Qualifiers play on Friday at the first-place Leeds Rhinos (5-1-0).

The Super 8s Qualifiers group the bottom four teams in the elite Super League (Leeds, Hull Kingston Rovers, Salford Red Devils and Widnes Vikings) with the top four in the second-tier Championship (Toronto, London Broncos, Toulouse Olympique and Halifax RLFC)

The top three in the standings will secure automatic places in the Super League while No. 4 faces No. 5 in the so-called Million Pound Game on Oct. 7 to see who joins them.

A win in Leeds and Toronto is assured of at least a place in the Million Pound Game. A loss and the Wolfpack will need help from other teams to keep its promotion hopes alive.

Getting the Wolfpack into Super League is only part of Argyle’s plan. He wants to create a global sports platform for the sport with Toronto as the centre, bringing other events to town.

The team, which currently pays for TV production of home games, says it already reaches 115 million homes around the globe through its broadcast partners.

And what is good for the Wolfpack is good for Toronto and its surrounding attractions, Argyle argues.

Argyle says the Wolfpack attracted a little more than 1,000 British visitors to Toronto last season and an estimated 3,000 this year. Next year, if in Super League, they hope to attract 15,000 tourists to their home games.

The franchise is also bidding to host a Tier 1 international match here—possibly at BMO Field—which could bring another 10,000 visiting fans.

“Now we’re giving them a real reason to come see this province, this country,” Argyle said. “And a lot of them have relatives they haven’t seen in decades. Now they have a reason to come and reunite.”

While Argyle stays in the background, he has won praise from visiting fans for being a being a gracious host who has been happy to socialize and talk up Toronto.

The Wolfpack are clearly a labour of love for Argyle.

“It was almost like a vortex,” he said. “The toe went in and before you knew it you‘re completely absorbed into it. At times things are difficult, trying to manage the organization but we’re very fortunate that we’ve got really good people in the front office and the playing squad. Brian and Paul do just a wonderful job of managing that side.”

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The team has somehow managed to turn 9,600-capacity Lamport Stadium into a fun place, with its craft beer and other food and drink stalls at both ends.

“I love Lamport, I love it. I love the grittiness,” said Argyle. “Yes, it needs a facelift but I don’t want to ever leave Lamport. It needs a facelift but it doesn’t need to be a high-tech stadium. It doesn’t need to have all the frills. In fact I think because of the stadium it adds to the experience.”

The last home game, a 20-12 win over Widnes Vikings, drew a season-high 8,281.