Braude to Captain Arrows for Midweek Clash with DC

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

TORONTO, ON – Toronto Arrows Head Coach Peter Smith has named his starting lineup for Thursday’s home clash against Old Glory DC.

Following last week’s comeback draw against Rugby ATL, the Arrows pack features just one week-over-week change, with Owain Ruttan drawing in at blindside flanker.

Ross Braude returns to the number-nine shirt, and with club captain Lucas Rumball set to come off the bench for the midweek clash, the scrum-half will captain the Arrows for the first time in his career; the Canadian international will become just the sixth player to lead the Arrows out of the tunnel for a Major League Rugby match.

A revamped midfield pair sees Mitch Richardson shift to inside centre as Tautalatasi Tasi slots back into the starting lineup at outside centre.

Freshly-activated outside back Ciaran Breen, set to return following a nine-week recovery layoff, starts on the wing for the first time in the 2023 campaign.

The starting lineup features 13 Canadian / Canada-eligible domestic players.

The bench includes recent signee Liam Bowman, who is in contention to make his Arrows debut, as well as the now-fit Conan O’Donnell.

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

The Eastern Conference clash will be shown on TSN2, TSN.ca, and the TSN app for Canadian audiences, FS2 for American audiences, and will be available on The Rugby Network for international audiences. Additional broadcast details.

Toronto Arrows Lineup vs. Old Glory DC:

1. Lolani Faleiva
2. Tyler Wong
3. Tyler Rowland
4. Mason Flesch
5. Adrian Wadden
6. Owain Ruttan
7. James O’Neill
8. Travis Larsen
9. Ross Braude (C)
10. Peter Nelson
11. D’Shawn Bowen
12. Mitch Richardson
13. Tautalatasi Tasi
14. Ciaran Breen
15. Shane O’Leary
16. Ramon Ayarza
17. Connor Grindal
18. Conan O’Donnell
19. Hank Stevenson
20. Lucas Rumball
21. Will Grant
22. Liam Bowman
23. Kobe Faust

Injury / Recovery List: Cole Davis, Mitch Eadie, Fabian Goodall, Nik Hildebrand, Shay Kerry, Sam Malcolm, Avery Oitomen, Noel Reid, Isaac Salmon, Gene Syminton, Corey Thomas

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

Squad Notes:

• Liam Bowman stands to make his Arrows debut off the bench
• Seven 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)
• Ramon Ayarza (12 caps) is a full Chilean international

Week 14 Milestone Watch:

• 35 – Adrian Wadden is poised to earn his 35th club cap, becoming the 11th Arrow to reach this career milestone
• 25 – Lolani Faleiva is poised to earn his 25th club cap, becoming the 18th 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: Tek Ang