Rumball, Larsen Set for 50th MLR Caps as Arrows Host Rugby ATL

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

TORONTO, ON – Toronto Arrows Head Coach Peter Smith has named his starting lineup for Friday’s home clash against Rugby ATL.

Following the team’s bye week, the Arrows forwards group will feature four personnel alterations from the pack that started against NOLA in Week 11. Hooker Tyler Wong and prop Tyler Rowland both enter the front row, the versatile Mason Flesch slides up to the engine room, James O’Neill moves into the vacant flanker spot, and No. 8 Travis Larsen has been given the nod at the back of the scrum.

Fresh off the injured reserve, the healthy Peter Nelson starts at fly-half, with Shane O’Leary shifting to fullback. Will Grant and Avery Oitomen draw in at scrum-half and wing, respectively.

Lucas Rumball and Larsen are notably set to reach a half-century of MLR appearances. Club captain Rumball will have played all 50 matches with the Arrows – becoming only the third player to hit the milestone with the club, following Paul Ciulini and Mike Sheppard – while Larsen, in his first season with Toronto, has previously featured for Austin (15 matches), DC (5), San Diego (8), and Seattle (17).

The starting lineup features 13 Canadian / Canada-eligible domestic players, with Wong and Grant both poised to make their first starts for the club.

The bench features the activated duo of Connor Grindal and Tautalatasi Tasi, with the latter now back to match fitness after an eight-week recovery layoff and set to see his first action since the club’s Week 5 game in DC.

Friday’s game will kick off at 7 p.m. ET from York Lions Stadium, with tickets starting at $20.

The Arrows will wear special ‘Cracked Ice’ City Edition Kit for the match. The authentic, match-worn jerseys will be signed and auctioned after the match, along with two jerseys signed by the full team. Bidding will close on Sunday, May 14 at 6 p.m. ET.

 

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The Eastern Conference clash will be shown on TSN2, TSN.ca, and the TSN app for Canadian audiences, and will be available on The Rugby Network for American and international audiences. Additional broadcast details.

Toronto Arrows Lineup vs. Rugby ATL:

1. Lolani Faleiva
2. Tyler Wong
3. Tyler Rowland
4. Mason Flesch
5. Adrian Wadden
6. Lucas Rumball (C)
7. James O’Neill
8. Travis Larsen
9. Will Grant
10. Peter Nelson
11. Avery Oitomen
12. Noel Reid
13. Mitch Richardson
14. D’Shawn Bowen
15. Shane O’Leary
16. Ramon Ayarza
17. Connor Grindal
18. Isaac Salmon
19. Mike Sheppard (VC)
20. Owain Ruttan
21. Ross Braude
22. Tautalatasi Tasi
23. Kobe Faust

Injury / Recovery List: Ciaran Breen, Cole Davis, Mitch Eadie, Fabian Goodall, Nik Hildebrand, Shay Kerry, Sam Malcolm, Conan O’Donnell, Gene Syminton, Corey Thomas

Long-Term Injured Reserve: Nic Benn, Micaiah Torrance-Read

Squad Notes:

• Will Grant and Tyler Wong are set to make their first starts for the club
• Eight squad members are full Canadian internationals: Ross Braude (12 caps), Mason Flesch (2 caps), Peter Nelson (15 caps), Shane O’Leary (14 caps), Tyler Rowland (9 caps), Lucas Rumball (47 caps), Owain Ruttan (1 cap), Mike Sheppard (11 caps)
• Ramon Ayarza (12 caps) is a full Chilean international
• Noel Reid (1 cap) is a full Irish international

Week 13 Milestone Watch:

• 50 – Lucas Rumball is poised to earn his 50th club and MLR cap, becoming the third Arrow to reach a half-century of appearances with the club
• 50 – Travis Larsen is poised to earn his 50th MLR cap
• 35 – Mitch Richardson is poised to earn his 35th club cap, becoming the 10th Arrow to reach this career milestone
• 20 – James O’Neill is poised to earn his 20th club cap, becoming the 30th Arrow to reach this career milestone

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: Sam Buschbeck