Toronto Arrows Announce Arrows XV Squad for Rugby Rally

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

TORONTO, ON – The Toronto Arrows are pleased to announce their squad to feature for the Arrows XV against the Atlantic Selects at Saturday’s Rugby Rally.

The Arrows XV coaching staff have named 23 players – 13 forwards and 10 backs – to their squad list. The roster includes 12 players who were members of the Arrows senior team in 2021, and a further five recent Senior Academy athletes. It also features hooker Sam Mace, who was the club’s third-round pick in the 2021 Major League Rugby Collegiate Draft.

“Our training group began practicing together over Thanksgiving weekend, and have been looking sharper each day as we ramp up preparations for this Saturday,” said Mark Winokur, Toronto Arrows Chief Operating Officer and General Manager. “This young group, just like our entire organization, can’t wait to play in front of our fans this weekend. It’s been a long time coming, and they’re champing at the bit to get out there for what will be a very memorable event.”

“Much like our player squad, our Arrows XV coaching staff is a strong mix of senior Arrows staff and local coaches continuing their development in a professional environment. The Arrows recognize the importance of being strongly connected to provincial and representative programs, clubs and educational institutions, as we know these development opportunities for coaches will help bear fruit for our sport all the way down to the grassroots level.”

Ronan Foley had been set to feature for the Arrows XV on Saturday, but has been ruled out of the Rugby Rally with an upper body injury. The injury is not expected to be long term, with the Irishman expected to make a full recovery ahead of the 2022 pre-season.

At the Rugby Rally — the Arrows’ first match in Toronto in an unprecedented 867 days — fans at York Lions Stadium will be able to enjoy locally-sourced craft beer and food options from guest vendors. Activities include pre-match autograph signings by Arrows players, a live DJ, an inflatable fan zone for kids, and a very special announcement at halftime. Tickets start at $10.

Gates will open at 4 p.m., with the Arrows XV and Atlantic Selects scheduled to kick off at 5:30 p.m.

FORWARDS
Name – Position (2021 MLR off-season team, where applicable)

Alexander, Julian – Prop (Balmy Beach)
Bradley, Darby – Prop (Oshawa Vikings)
Brouwer, Rob – Prop
Fish, Matt – Back Row (Waterloo)
Flesch, Mason – Lock / Back Row (Canada)
Jones, Ben – Lock (Balmy Beach)
Mace, Sam – Hooker (University of Ottawa)
McRogers, Jack – Hooker (Aurora Barbarians)
Nott, Ollie – Back Row (Vancouver Island Crimson Tide)
Ouellet, Marc-Antoine – Prop (Club de Rugby de Quebec)
Stevenson, Hank – Lock (Toronto Nomads)
Vikilani, Siaki – Back Row (Canada)
Wainwright, Marcello – Back Row (Toronto Scottish)

BACKS
Name – Position (2021 MLR off-season team, where applicable)

Brown, Cole – Scrum-half (McMaster University)
Ferguson, Andrew – Scrum-half (Oakville Crusaders)
Ferguson, Brandan – Wing (Peterborough Pagans)
Kelly, Will – Fly-half (Canada)
King, Mitch – Wing (Oshawa Vikings)
McLaughlin, Liam – Centre (Ajax Wanderers)
Norton, Andrew – Fly-half / Centre (Balmy Beach)
Richardson, Mitch – Centre (Burlington Centaurs)
Sheridan, John – Wing (Markham Irish)
Voralek, Mitch – Fullback (Waterloo)

EXTENDED TRAINING SQUAD (NON-DRESSING)

Black, Brenden – Fullback (Oakville Crusaders / Canada U18 Camp)
McNaughton, Jamie – Back Row (Burlington Centaurs)

ARROWS XV TEAM STAFF

Connelly, Paul – Rugby Ontario Guest Coach
Harrison, Sean – High Performance Director
Hendry, Scott – Assistant Coach, Defence
Lozada, Koko – Performance Analyst
Maulson, Patrick – Assistant Coach, Attack
MacDougall, Neil – Team Operations Manager
Pletch, Dan – Assistant Coach, Scrum
Ratier, Francois – Coach, Backs
Shannon, Scott – Athletic Therapist
Silverthorn, Chris – Director of Rugby / Coach, Forwards
Smith, Peter – Coach, Attack & Defence
Winokur, Mark – General Manager

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]