Toronto Arrows Announce Captaincy Roles for 2022 MLR Season

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

TORONTO, ON – The Toronto Arrows are pleased to announce the club’s captaincy roles for the 2022 Major League Rugby season.

Mike Sheppard has been named club captain, while Sam Malcolm and Lucas Rumball have been tabbed for vice captaincy duties.

Sheppard, 33, is entering his fourth season with the Arrows after featuring in 32 matches (25 starts) for the club since 2019. A constant and consistent presence in the team’s lineup since the club’s inaugural season, the bearded stalwart has long been regarded for his hard-nosed, physical style of play and the motivating, relentless attitude he carries both on and off the pitch.

The six-foot-three, 240-pound lock leads the franchise in several statistical categories, including tackles (326), dominant tackles (22), and carries (258). His eight tries are the most amongst forwards in club history.

“It’s really heartwarming to be chosen by teammates for this role,” said Sheppard. “Earlier this preseason, our team got together for a player-based vote, and we wrote down traits that we admired about one another. A collective of guys emerged as the team’s core leadership group – a group made up of teammates that I respect and am proud to lead alongside – and it’s an honour to know my teammates back me to go and fight for them.”

Sheppard’s deputies are also four-year, day-one Arrows.

Malcolm, 25, has featured in 24 matches (23 starts) for the team over the past three seasons, and like Sheppard, holds club records in several statistical categories, including points (220), conversions (58), penalty goals (32), goal kicking accuracy (85.7%), and kicking metres (3,239).

The cerebral back, who was aptly described as having “the heart of a lion” by 2019 captain Dan Moor, holds the distinction of being the only non-Canadian to captain the Arrows in a MLR match.

Rumball, 26, has made 24 appearances (23 starts) throughout his first three years in MLR, and has held a leadership role with the team since its inception.

Playing with a determination few across MLR can rival, there is likely no player more feared at the breakdown across the league than the Scarborough, Ontario native. Rumball is the franchise leader in breakdown steals (29) by a considerable margin; no other player in team history has more than 11.

“It was an easy job for the coaching staff, because the players voted their leaders in,” said head coach Peter Smith. “The hand we played in the process was that we just signed off on it, but it was the players who had a voice, and they said ‘this is what we want our leader to be, and who we want our leader to be,’ and so it was easy for us in being able to name Shep as captain.”

“Shep is incredibly proud to take the job. He bleeds the Toronto Arrows, and wants this team to succeed. He cares about this team so much, and for us, we’re really glad he’s in this position to lead the team this year.”

“He’s really matured as a leader over the years he’s been with the organization. He knows when to speak and hold players accountable, when to give confidence to the other players, and when to let other players and leaders in the team speak. He knows when to put his foot down, and when to let his foot off. He brings the guys around him together, welcomes the new boys in, and makes sure that what we’re trying to achieve as a staff, and what we’re trying to achieve as a team, comes first and foremost, and he holds the players accountable to that.”

“In terms of the overall leadership group, all three are outstanding leaders, and they complement each other really well. Shep, Sam, and Lucas all lead by their actions and their voices, and all the players support them. The main point coming out of this player-led selection process is that our leaders know that they have the backing of their teammates; those leaders know that the players voted them as their captain and vice captains, and they wanted them to lead them throughout the course of the season.”

Describing his leadership style, Sheppard notes that it’s been an evolution since his days captaining the pre-MLR Ontario Arrows in 2018.

“As I’ve gotten older, I’ve certainly calmed down,” he added, with a chuckle. “Now, at 33, leading by example is more about fighting the mental battle than the physical battle. I rely less and less on my body, and more and more on my mind; really visualizing the game, planning for the game, and preparing my body to be the best it can be.”

Looking ahead to the 2022 season, the veteran lock is buzzing with excitement.

“Camp has been outstanding so far. Ask any of the guys who were here last year as well, and they’ll tell you that the energy this year is different. It’s definitely different.”

“I don’t know if it’s because last year we were down in Atlanta, and guys got low and down on themselves because we were missing home, but this year we’re in our own places, at home in Toronto, and it’s a clean slate. Plus, the new guys we’ve brought in are all fully bought in. They’re 100% in. This year, the energy is different, and it feels damn good.”

And the goal for 2022?

“Win. That’s it. That’s the goal. I have my own personal goals, but our team goal is clear: to win.”

The Arrows will officially begin their fourth MLR campaign with a road match against the Seattle Seawolves on Sunday, February 6.

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]