Toronto Arrows Announce Final Signings Ahead of 2022 Season Kickoff

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

TORONTO, ON – The Toronto Arrows are pleased to announce a twelfth and final group of significant signings ahead of the 2022 Major League Rugby season.

The club is excited to confirm that scrum-half Cole Brown and loose forward Taitusi Vikilani have signed on for the upcoming campaign, and that the Canadian duo will be joined by New Zealand prop Lolani Faleiva.

Cole Brown
Scrum-half | Pickering, Ontario

Brown, 21, is in line to make his MLR debut in 2022 following his graduation from the Senior Arrows Academy.

The 5’11”, 190lb scrum-half prospect has represented Canada on the national under-20 side’s tour to Portugal in 2020, and later participated in Rugby Canada’s under-20 camp in 2021.

Most recently, Brown featured for the Arrows XV at the Rugby Rally this past October, helping to guide the home side to a 57-10 victory over the Atlantic Selects.

The half-back is a graduate of the Ontario Blues junior men’s provincial program and the McMaster Marauders post-secondary program, and played his grassroots rugby with the Ajax Wanderers. He was named an Ontario University Athletics East Division All-Star following the 2021 post-secondary season.

Lolani Faleiva
Prop | Napier, New Zealand

Faleiva, 22, joins the Arrows from New Zealand National Provincial Championship side Hawke’s Bay.

The prop is now the third member of the Magpies to arrive at the club ahead of the 2022 season, joining the reigning NPC regular season champions’ versatile back Dennon Robinson-Bartlett and scrum coach Francisco Deformes in Toronto.

Prior to earning a roster spot on his hometown NPC team, the 6’4”, 285lb prospect featured for Netherlands club Bassets in the 2019 Dutch Ereklasse. Faleiva also spent time as an under-17 development athlete with Super Rugby side Hurricanes in 2015.

The forward has played his grassroots rugby with Hawke’s Bay club side Taradale, notably helping to guide the Maroons to the prestigious Nash Cup-Maddison Trophy double in 2021.

Taitusi Vikilani
No. 8 / Flanker | Burnaby, British Columbia

Vikilani, 25, joins the Arrows after spending three seasons honing his skills in Rugby Canada’s national development academy program.

The older brother of fellow Arrow Siaki, Taitusi most recently featured for the Pacific Pride in British Columbia’s Coastal Cup, where he helped lead the academy side to a second-place finish (4-1-1 record) in the inaugural year of the competition.

The loose forward is a graduate of the British Columbia Bears senior men’s provincial program, and played his grassroots rugby with Burnaby Lake.

“Cole, Lolani, and Taitusi are three young, exciting prospects who have made big strides in their game in recent months and years, and have shown they’re ready to make the jump to Major League Rugby,” said Mark Winokur, Toronto Arrows Chief Operating Officer and General Manager. “Cole and Taitusi were standouts in the OUA and Coastal Cup, respectively, this past autumn, and Lolani’s development took a big jump while working closely with our new forwards and set piece coach Francisco Deformes at Hawke’s Bay this past year.”

“All three will play an impactful role with us in 2022, and we’re looking forward to seeing them progress as professionals within our organization.”

The Arrows have now signed 41 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/

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For more information, please contact:

Brock Smith
Communications Manager
Toronto Arrows
[email protected]