Arrows Squad Named for Preseason Clash in DC

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

TORONTO, ON – The Toronto Arrows have announced their 25-player squad that will travel to DC for the team’s preseason clash with Old Glory on Friday evening.

Fifteen forwards and 10 backs have been tapped to appear in the tune-up match.

The preseason tilt will provide the first on-field appearances for Arrows newcomers Kyle Baillie, Matt Hood, Conor McCann, James O’Neill, Isaac Salmon, and Ueta Tufuga.

Matchday selectees Sam Mace and Mitch Voralek are also kicking off their first MLR season with the club, though both rookies pulled on the Arrows shirt for the first time this past October when they featured in the club’s Rugby Rally victory over the Atlantic Selects.

On the opposite side of the experience spectrum, 10 players making the trip south – Paul Ciulini, Andrew Ferguson, Spencer Jones, Cole Keith, Jack McRogers, Gaston Mieres, Mitch Richardson, Lucas Rumball, Mike Sheppard, and Marcello Wainwright – are entering their fourth year playing for Toronto on North America’s senior circuit.

“We’re really excited to actually get a game going,” said head coach Peter Smith. “The boys have trained really hard and really well, but at the same time, you train to play games, and we’re really looking forward to the challenge and excited for tomorrow match.”

“From a playing perspective, we want to use this game as an opportunity to showcase the Arrows brand of rugby – hard, ruthless, and aggressive. Regardless of it being a preseason game, we want to set the tone.”

“From a coaching point of view, tomorrow’s 80 minutes will give our staff an opportunity to evaluate our players as they put their hands up for selection before the season starts. Competition for spots has been extremely tight as we get closer to our first match, and we want to see where our guys stack up at the MLR level.”

Friday’s meeting with Old Glory will be the first of what will become a familiar matchup for the Arrows throughout 2022; Toronto will face DC three more times throughout the upcoming season, with matches scheduled for February 26 (A), April 9 (H), and June 5 (H).

Old Glory finished fifth in the 2021 Eastern Conference standings with 39 points (6W-1D-9L), one slot above the Arrows (5W-11L; 30 points). Toronto was victorious in both meetings with DC last season, scoring a 40-19 win in Week 3 and a 34-28 decision in Week 16.

The match, played at Old Glory’s training venue (The St. James) in Springfield, VA, will kick off at 8 p.m. ET. There will be no stream available, however fans can track the action over Twitter by following @TorontoArrows to receive periodic updates.

The Arrows will officially begin their fourth campaign in Major League Rugby with a road match against the Seattle Seawolves on February 6.

FORWARDS
Name – Position

Baillie, Kyle – Lock
Ciulini, Paul – Lock
Keith, Cole – Prop
Flesch, Mason – Back Row
Mace, Sam – Hooker
McRogers, Jack – Hooker
Nott, Ollie – Back Row
O’Neill, James – Back Row
Ouellet, Marc-Antoine – Prop
Rowland, Tyler – Prop
Rumball, Lucas – Back Row
Salmon, Isaac – Prop
Sheppard, Mike – Lock
Wadden, Adrian – Lock
Wainwright, Marcello – Back Row

BACKS
Name – Position

Braude, Ross – Scrum-half
Ferguson, Andrew – Scrum-half
Hood, Matt – Wing
Jones, Spencer – Centre
Kelly, Will – Fly-half
McCann, Conor – Fullback
Mieres, Gaston – Wing
Richardson, Mitch – Centre
Tufuga, Ueta – Centre
Voralek, Mitch – Fullback

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]

Header Photo Credit: Paris Malone