Eadie, Ayarza in Line for MLR Debuts as Arrows Travel to New York

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

MOUNT VERNON, NY – Toronto Arrows Head Coach Peter Smith has named his starting lineup for Sunday’s match against the New York Ironworkers.

The Arrows second-round starters include four changes from the team’s season-opening lineup. With Mitch Eadie activated off the injured reserve, the Premiership-experienced back-rower is primed to make his Major League Rugby debut at No. 8.

Shute Shield standout Fabian Goodall and Canada under-20 grad Kobe Faust also draw into the starting 15 at centre and wing, respectively, while Mitch Richardson shifts from centre to fly-half.

A quartet of Arrows – Ramon Ayarza, Nik Hildebrand, Avery Oitomen and James O’Neill – are in contention to make their season debuts off the bench; should Ayarza be called into action, it will also mark his first MLR involvement.

Sunday’s match at Memorial Field will serve as the Ironworkers’ home opener, marking the home side’s first match at its new home pitch in Mount Vernon, NY. New York (0-1; 0 points) is coming off a season-opening 25-11 defeat in Seattle.

Toronto and New York have shared the results in their six meet-ups since joining the league in 2019, with each side taking three wins apiece; the two teams have split the season series each year they’ve faced off (2019, 2021, 2022). Both teams won on the road last season, with the Arrows scoring a last-gasp try in Hoboken, NJ, to seal a memorable 14-10 victory.

Sunday’s game will kick off at 3 p.m. ET. The Eastern Conference tilt will be shown on TSN4, TSN.ca, and the TSN app for Canadian audiences, and will be available on The Rugby Network for international audiences. Additional broadcast details.

Toronto Arrows Lineup vs. New York Ironworkers:

1. Conan O’Donnell
2. Gene Syminton
3. Isaac Salmon
4. Mason Flesch
5. Micaiah Torrance-Read
6. Travis Larsen
7. Lucas Rumball (C)
8. Mitch Eadie
9. Ross Braude
10. Mitch Richardson
11. Kobe Faust
12. Fabian Goodall
13. Tautalatasi Tasi
14. Cole Davis
15. Ciaran Breen
16. Jack McRogers
17. Ramon Ayarza
18. Nik Hildebrand
19. Adrian Wadden
20. Mike Sheppard (VC)
21. James O’Neill
22. Cole Brown
23. Avery Oitomen

Injury / Recovery List: Nic Benn, Will Grant, Sam Malcolm, Shane O’Leary, Noel Reid, Tyler Rowland, Corey Thomas

Squad Notes:

• Mitch Eadie will make his Arrows debut as a starter
• Kobe Faust will make his season debut as a starter
• Ramon Ayarza and Nik Hildebrand stand to make their Arrows debuts off the bench
• Avery Oitomen and James O’Neill stand to make their season debuts off the bench
• Six squad members are full Canadian internationals: Ross Braude (12 caps), Cole Davis (7 caps), Mason Flesch (2 caps), Jack McRogers (1 cap), Lucas Rumball (47 caps), Mike Sheppard (11 caps)
• Ramon Ayarza (12 caps) is a full Chilean international

Week 2 Milestone Watch:

• 48 – Mike Sheppard is in contention to make his 48th appearance for the club, which would see him draw him level with Andrew Quattrin for second-most all-time caps on the team (48), trailing only Paul Ciulini (50)
• 100 – Mason Flesch is 16 tackles away (84) from reaching 100 in his MLR career
• 1,500 – Mitch Richardson is in contention to cross the 1,500-minute milestone (currently 1,498), which would see him become the 12th Arrow to hit the 1,500-minute tally
• 3,000 – Lucas Rumball and Mike Sheppard are in contention to cross the 3,000-minute milestone (currently 2,983 and 2,990, respectively), which would see them become the second and third Arrows to cross the 3,000-minute tally, trailing only Paul Ciulini (3,356)

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]