Arrows Announce Lineup for 2023 Season Finale

News Jun-16-2023

Arrows Announce Lineup for 2023 Season Finale

Late Lineup Updates:

Tautalatasi Tasi enters at #13
Mitch Richardson shifts to #12
Liam Bowman moves to #22

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

TORONTO, ON – Toronto Arrows Head Coach Peter Smith has named his starting lineup for Saturday’s season finale clash against the NOLA Gold.

The front row features a pair of fresh faces, with Jack McRogers and Isaac Salmon tabbed to start at hooker and tighthead prop, respectively.

Hank Stevenson gets the nod in the engine room as Mason Flesch drops back to blindside flanker, while James O’Neill slots in at the openside role.

With club captain and minutes played-leader Lucas Rumball set to be rested after featuring in all of the Arrows’ 15 matches so far this season, Mike Sheppard will assume captaincy duties on the weekend.

The lone changes among the backs are both along the touchlines, with Fabian Goodall and Kobe Faust entering the fray at wing.

The bench features the freshly-activated duo of Gene Syminton and Ramon Ayarza, as well as late-season signee Matt Fish, who is poised to make his Arrows debut.

The starting lineup features 13 Canadian / Canada-eligible domestic players, with 17 included in the full side.

Saturday’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 and will be available on The Rugby Network for American and international audiences. Additional broadcast details.

The Arrows hold a 2-5 all-time record against the Gold, but were victorious the last time the two sides played north of the border — a 53-26 win in 2022.

Toronto Arrows Lineup vs. NOLA Gold:

Connor Grindal
Jack McRogers
Isaac Salmon
Hank Stevenson
Mike Sheppard (C)
Mason Flesch
James O’Neill
Travis Larsen
Will Grant
Peter Nelson
Fabian Goodall
Liam Bowman
Mitch Richardson
Kobe Faust
Shane O’Leary
Gene Syminton
Ramon Ayarza
Conan O’Donnell
Matt Fish
Owain Ruttan
Ross Braude
Dawson Fatoric
Sam Malcolm (VC)

Injury / Recovery List: Ciaran Breen, Cole Davis, Mitch Eadie, Lolani Faleiva, Nik Hildebrand, Shay Kerry, Noel Reid, Tyler Rowland, Tautalatasi Tasi, Corey Thomas, Adrian Wadden, Tyler Wong

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

Squad Notes:

Jack McRogers is set to make his first start of the season
Mike Sheppard will captain the Arrows for the first time in 2023
Matt Fish stands to make his Arrows debut off the bench
Eight squad members are full Canadian internationals: Ross Braude (12 caps), Dawson Fatoric (2 caps), Mason Flesch (2 caps), Jack McRogers (1 cap), Peter Nelson (15 caps), Shane O’Leary (14 caps), Owain Ruttan (1 cap), Mike Sheppard (11 caps)
Ramon Ayarza (12 caps) is a full Chilean international

Week 18 Milestone Watch:

45 – Sam Malcolm is poised to earn his 45th club cap, becoming the sixth Arrow to reach this career milestone
40 – Jack McRogers is poised to earn his 40th club cap, becoming the eighth Arrow to reach this career milestone
25 – James O’Neill is poised to earn his 25th club cap, becoming the 21^st 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: Vasiliy Ryabykh