Academy Squad Announced for Inaugural Coast to Coast Cup

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

TORONTO, ON – Toronto Arrows Academy Director and Head Coach Cory Hector has named his 25-man squad set to participate in the upcoming Coast to Coast Cup.

The travelling squad features representation from 11 different Canadian post-secondary institutions and 19 different Canadian grassroots clubs.

“The Coast to Coast Cup offers quality competition to some of the top players from across the country not currently playing professionally,” said Hector. “For our Academy players, its an opportunity to test themselves across two more matches, while continuing to build on our previous three matches.  Games like these are essential for our players’ continued development.”

The Senior Academy will open the Halifax-based tournament on Saturday, May 28 with a clash against hosts Atlantic Selects, before meeting up with the Canada West Selects three days later on Tuesday, May 31.

Tickets for Game 1 at Wanderers Grounds can be purchased in advance here, while tickets for Game 2 will be available at the gate at Graves-Oakley Memorial Park.

All matches from the tournament will be streamed live, for free, on The Rugby Network.

The Academy’s 2022 campaign kicked off in early February, with under-18 to under-23 athletes training regularly at two regional sites in Ontario (Guelph, Kingston) and one in Quebec (Montreal).

The Young Arrows have played three matches so far in their inaugural season, starting the campaign with road trips to the United States to face a pair of MLR development teams in the New England Independents and the New York Foundry, followed by a local meeting with an Oakville Crusaders XV side this past weekend.

Toronto Arrows Coast to Coast Cup Squad:

FORWARDS
Tom Artmann | Concordia University / Town of Mount Royal
Matt Fish | Wilfrid Laurier University / Waterloo County
Noah Flesch | Pacific Pride / Cobourg Saxons
Max Goodwin | University of Guelph / Aurora Barbarians
Jeremy Grimard | CFP Charlotte-Tasse / Montreal Irish
Caleb Hickey | Trent University / Barrie
Sam Mace* | University of Ottawa / Bytown Blues
Owen McLean Lavado | Pacific Pride / Wilfrid Laurier University / Toronto Scottish
Callum O’Neil | Pacific Pride / Belleville Bulldogs
Gelel Rezig | Ecole de Technologie Superieur / Town of Mount Royal
Evan Roy | University of Ottawa / Ottawa Beavers
David Scollon | University of Guelph / Oakville Crusaders
Carter Smith | Wilfrid Laurier University / Brampton Beavers
Hank Stevenson* | Wilfrid Laurier University / Toronto Nomads
Aidan Vachon | University of Guelph / Brantford Harlequins

BACKS
Stan Blazkowski | Concordia University / Town of Mount Royal
Owen Cumming | McGill University / Montreal Irish
Adam Doyle | Queen’s University / Kingston Panthers
Josh Eustace | University of Waterloo / Brantford Harlequins
Liam McLaughlin | Seneca College / Ajax Wanderers
Aidan McMullan | Concordia Stingers / Sainte-Anne-De-Bellevue
Adam McNee | Wilfrid Laurier University / Cobourg Saxons
Collin Smibert | University of Guelph / London St. George’s
JC Vinette | Concordia University / Town of Mount Royal
James Webb | Queen’s University / Balmy Beach

* = Senior Team player

Toronto Arrows Academy Staff

Cory Hector | Head Coach (Arrows Academy – Director)
Dave Butcher* | Assistant Coach (Arrows Academy – Ontario East Lead)
John Lavery | Assistant Coach (Arrows Academy – Quebec Lead)
Adam Maahs | Assistant Coach (Arrows Academy – Ontario West Lead)
Mark Winokur | General Manager

* = not travelling

Schedule

Game 1 May 28: Atlantic Selects vs. Toronto Arrows Academy
Wanderers Grounds, Halifax | 7:30 p.m. AT / 6:30 p.m. ET

Game 2 May 31: Canada West Selects vs. Toronto Arrows Academy
Graves-Oakley Memorial Park, Halifax | 6:30 p.m. AT / 5:30 p.m. ET

Game 3 June 4: Atlantic Selects vs. Canada West Selects
Graves-Oakley Memorial Park, Halifax | 5 p.m. AT / 4 p.m. ET

About Toronto Arrows Rugby Football Club:

Established in 2018, the Toronto Arrows Rugby Football Club is Canada’s first and only professional rugby union team.

Competing in Major League Rugby, the team is equipped to compete against top-tier North American professional club teams, providing emerging Canadian talent with enhanced and more frequent opportunities to hone their skills at an elite level.

For more information, visit https://torontoarrows.com/

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For more information, please contact:

Brock Smith
Communications Manager
Toronto Arrows
[email protected]

Header Photo Credit: Colin Watson