Toronto Arrows Announce Return of Brouwer, Faust, Signing of McCann

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

TORONTO, ON – The Toronto Arrows are pleased to announce an eleventh group of significant signings ahead of the 2022 Major League Rugby season.

The club is excited to confirm that prop Rob Brouwer and wing Kobe Faust are returning for the upcoming campaign, and that the Ontarian duo will be joined by Toronto club standout Conor McCann.

Rob Brouwer
Prop | Lindsay, Ontario
Arrow #2

Brouwer, 39, returns to the Arrows for a fourth season after featuring in 22 matches (19 starts) for the club since 2019.

The 6’3”, 255lb prop has accumulated 280 carry metres on 77 carries, 178 tackles (92.7% completion), three tackle breaks, two tries, one linebreak, one breakdown steal, and one lineout take over his three years with the team.

The veteran’s impressive performances throughout the club’s inaugural season landed him a spot on the All-MLR 1st XV in 2019.

Brouwer has earned 11 caps for Canada, and holds the mark as the national team’s oldest debutante – a distinction he earned in February 2016 when he stepped on the field against Brazil at the age of 33 years, 72 days.

The forward is a graduate of the Ontario Blues senior men’s provincial program and the McMaster Marauders post-secondary program, and played his grassroots rugby with Lindsay Rugby Football Club.

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by Toronto Arrows (@torontoarrows)

Kobe Faust
Wing | Uxbridge, Ontario
Arrow #63

Faust, 19, is back for a second campaign with the club after making three appearances in his debut season in MLR.

Featuring primarily as a wing in 2021, the 6’1”, 210lb back produced 48 carry metres on five carries, three tackles (100% completion), and one tackle break in his first season with the club.

Faust also holds the distinction of being the youngest player to ever feature in a MLR match. He was 19 years, one month, and 25 days when he made his Arrows debut on June 26, 2021.

He has represented Canada at the under-18 level (as an under-ager) in 2019, and participated in Rugby Canada’s under-20 camp following the 2021 MLR season.

The back is a graduate of the Ontario Blues junior men’s provincial program and played his grassroots rugby with the Oshawa Vikings. He is currently a member of the Guelph Gryphons post-secondary program.

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by Toronto Arrows (@torontoarrows)

Conor McCann
Utility Back | Toronto, Ontario

McCann, 28, joins the Arrows after a decade of standout performances at the highest tier of Ontario club rugby.

Widely regarded as one of the top players in the Ontario’s Marshall Premiership, the versatile back notably helped lead his hometown club Balmy Beach to back-to-back McCormick Cup provincial championships in 2014 and 2015.

The 6’1”, 205lb fullback featured for Canada at two IRB Junior World Trophy tournaments, first as an under-ager in 2012, and again in 2013. He also represented Canada at two stops on the 2011–12 IRB Sevens World Series, featuring in six matches and scoring two tries.

McCann is a graduate of the Ontario Blues senior men’s provincial program and French Top 14 side ASM Clermont Auvergne’s Espoirs academy team.

“Rob is an original Ontario Blue and veteran Canadian international who basically came out of lockdown in Ontario last spring to give us a massive shift in the latter part of our 2021 season,” said Mark Winokur, Toronto Arrows Chief Operating Officer and General Manager. “With his wealth of experience, he has plenty more left in the tank, and will also be invaluable in working with our young front rowers.”

“Conor is also a former Ontario Blue, and is a superb athlete who has returned to full form. He has made an immediate impact at camp, and is a big addition to our depth across our backs.”

“As an 18-year-old, Kobe won a job on our senior roster with a great preseason last year and impressed when called upon in the latter part of the season. Still only a teenager, he has a great future in the game, and we’re excited to see his skills continue to develop.”

The Arrows have now signed 38 players ahead of the club’s 2022 MLR campaign.

The club will begin its fourth campaign in North America’s top-flight professional rugby league with a road match against the Seattle Seawolves on Sunday, Feb. 6, 2022.

2022 season ticket memberships are now on sale. Packages for the club’s seven Toronto-based home matches at the 4,000+-seat York Lions Stadium start at just $70.

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/

-30-

For more information, please contact:

Brock Smith
Communications Manager
Toronto Arrows
[email protected]