Beer we go at New Den with Sonny Bill

RUGBY LEAGUE has found an unlikely home in a country where ice hockey is king and a city where the NBA champion Raptors rule.

The signing of former All Blacks rugby union star Sonny Bill Williams (below) will add to the Wolfpack’s visibility in Toronto.

But what of his new home? Lamport Stadium, built on the site of Canada’s first women’s prison, is home to the Wolfpack.

The 45-year-old venue is located in an area called Liberty Village, a former factory zone, and is spartan... little more than two stands with benches on either side of an artificial grass pitch.

For home games, the north end becomes a packed beer zone, where fans cram three or four deep. The south end is a VIP zone, with food as well as suds.

A small, elevated press box is taken up by TV and other officials. Reporters covering games sit on benches under the press box, hoping rain and wind are not forecast.

Pre-match, fans gather at nearby pubs and eateries, but many stay in the stadium beer zone afterwards to continue their celebrations.

The capacity is 9,600, but there was a reported record sell-out of 9,974 for the 24-6 win over Featherstone in October’s Million Pound Game.

The Wolfpack have enjoyed two promotions in three years and lived up to their motto “Defend the Den”, with a 33-3 record at Lamport.

And, at home games, the biggest cheer is for full-back Gareth O’Brien’s conversions that often soar through the posts, over the fence and bounce off passing streetcars.