Toronto Arrows
Full name | Toronto Arrows |
---|---|
Nickname(s) | Arrows |
Founded | Ontario Arrows 2017–2018 Toronto Arrows 2018–present[1] |
Location | Toronto, Ontario, Canada Marietta, Georgia, United States[a] |
Ground(s) | York Lions Stadium |
President | Bill Webb |
Coach(es) | Peter Smith |
Captain(s) | Lucas Rumball |
Top scorer | Sam Malcolm (212) |
Most tries | Gaston Mieres (11) |
League(s) | Major League Rugby |
2019 | 3rd placed (regular season) |
Official website | |
torontoarrows | |
Current season |
Toronto Arrows R.F.C. is a rugby union club based in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, that plays in Major League Rugby.[2] The Arrows team is an independent off-shoot of the Ontario Blues provincial programme and is funded by a group of private investors and supporters.[3]
History[]
The team was founded as the Ontario Arrows in 2017 with the intent of joining the Major League Rugby (MLR) competition for the 2019 season.[4][5][6][7] The Arrows debuted September 9, 2017, in a match against the Glendale Merlins losing 41–7.[8]
In spring 2018, the Arrows played a six-game exhibition schedule against the Houston SaberCats, Rugby United New York, Utah Warriors, and Boston's Mystic River Rugby Club. The schedule was extended to include games against the Canada Selects.[9] The Arrows' 2018 home opener was a decided victory over the Mystic River Rugby Club.
In July 2018, the Arrows announced that MLR had granted them exclusive rights to negotiate for a franchise in Ontario.[10] In November 2018, MLR announced that the Arrows had joined the league for the 2019 season. At the same time, the Ontario Arrows changed their name to the Toronto Arrows.[11] The ownership group is led by Bill Webb, partner and chief investment officer at Waypoint Investment Partners. The ownership group also includes the former general manager of the Toronto Maple Leafs Brian Burke, Boat Rocker Sports (a division of Boat Rocker Media), Duncan McNaughton, an assistant coach with the Canadian women's team and the Queen's University men, Kevin Reed of AR3 Capital, and John Ferraro of Mass Marketing Inc.[12] As MLR operates as a single entity league, the ownership group purchased an equity stake in the league, at the cost of a few million dollars, and received operating rights to a franchise in the Toronto market.[12][13] In the 2019 season the team split its home games between Alumni Field of York University and Lamport Stadium in its inaugural 2019 MLR season.[14]
After playing only five matches in 2020, the Arrows ceased play along with the rest of MLR as the COVID-19 pandemic began.
Due to border crossing concerns related to the COVID-19 pandemic during the 2021 season, the Arrows temporarily relocated to Marietta, Georgia, to share Rugby ATL's facilities at Lupo Family Field.[15] They will return to Toronto in 2022, hosting their games at York Lions Stadium.[16]
Broadcasts[]
For 2019, home games were shown on GameTV. Lincoln Rose and Kit McConnico were the on-air talent.
For 2020, TSN was announced as the Arrows broadcast partner.[17] Following the cancellation of the 2020 Major League Rugby season, TSN produced a 10-episode series, showing 60-minute highlights from chosen Arrows games, called "Arrows in an Hour."[18]
Sponsorship[]
Season | Kit manufacturer | Shirt sponsor | Other Shirt sponsor(s) |
---|---|---|---|
2018 | XBlades | Waypoint Investment Partners | Blackshire Capital Dineen Coffee 360centre360 |
2019 | Honda Canada | Waypoint Investment Partners | |
2020–2021 | |||
2022 | None |
Players and personnel[]
Current squad[]
The Toronto Arrows squad for the 2022 Major League Rugby season is:[19]
Note: Flags indicate national union as has been defined under WR eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-WR nationality.
|
|
- Senior 15s internationally capped players are listed in bold.
- * denotes players qualified to play for Canada on dual nationality or residency grounds, and is designated as an MLR domestic player.
- MLR teams are allowed to field up to ten overseas players per match.
Head coaches[]
- Chris Silverthorn (2019–2021)
- Peter Smith (2021-present)
Captains[]
- Lucas Rumball, 2019-present (2019, Captain / 2020-present, co-captain)
- Dan Moor, 2020 (co-captain)
- Ben LeSage, 2021 (co-captain)
Coaching Staff[]
- Peter Smith — Head Coach
- Cory Hector — Backs Coach/Arrows Academy Director
- Francisco Deformes — Forwards and Set Piece Coach
- Rob Howley — Coaching Consultant
Staff[]
- Mark Winokur — Chief Operating Officer and General Manager
- Chris Silverthorn - Director of Player Development
- Neil MacDougall - Team Manager
- Rodin Lozada — Performance Analyst
- Sean Harrison — Strength and Conditioning Coach
- Dr. John Gillis - Head Team Physician
- Scott Shannon — Head Athletic Therapist
Records[]
Season standings[]
Year | Pos | Pld | W | D | L | F | A | +/− | BP | Pts | Playoffs |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
2019 | 3rd | 16 | 11 | 0 | 5 | 472 | 362 | +110 | 13 | 57 | Lost semi-final 17–30 to Seattle Seawolves |
2020[b] | 2nd | 5 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 151 | 89 | +62 | 3 | 19 | Cancelled[b] |
2021 | 10th | 16 | 5 | 0 | 11 | 411 | 412 | -1 | 10 | 30 | Did not quality |
Total | 3 seasons | 37 | 20 | 0 | 17 | 1034 | 863 | +171 | 26 | 106 | |
Playoff Totals | 1 Appearances | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 17 | 30 | -13 | NA | NA | 0 championships |
Notes[]
Honors[]
- Major League Rugby
- Playoff appearances: 2019
2018 season (exhibition)[]
All games in the 2018 season were exhibition games and did not count in the league standings.
Date | Opponent | Home/Away | Location | Result |
---|---|---|---|---|
March 3 | Houston SaberCats | Away | Constellation Field | Draw, 28–28 |
March 17 | Rugby United New York | Away | Mazzella Field | Lost, 19–36 |
April 6 | Utah Warriors | Away | Rio Tinto Stadium | Won, 24–20 |
April 14 | Rugby United New York | Home | York Alumni Stadium | Cancelled due to weather |
April 21 | Mystic River Rugby Club | Away | Pine Banks Park | Won, 29–19 |
May 5 | Mystic River Rugby Club | Home | York Alumni Stadium | Won, 77–8 |
May 18 | Canada Selects | Home | York Lions Stadium | Lost, 0–19 |
May 26 | Canada Selects | Away | Westhills Stadium | Lost, 28–58 |
2019 season[]
Exhibition[]
Date | Opponent | Home/Away | Location | Result |
---|---|---|---|---|
September 16, 2018 | Glendale Raptors | Home | York Lions Stadium | Won, 40–18 |
October 20, 2018 | New England Free Jacks | Home | Wanderers Grounds | Won, 40–14 |
January 12, 2019 | Rugby United New York | Neutral | Buffalo Bills Fieldhouse | Postponed |
May 18, 2019 | New England Free Jacks | Away | Brophy Field at Dartmouth's Corey Ford Rugby Clubhouse |
Postponed |
Regular season[]
Date | Opponent | Home/Away | Location | Result |
---|---|---|---|---|
January 26 | New Orleans Gold | Away | Eagle Athletic Facility | Lost, 31-36 |
February 8 | Austin Elite | Away | Dell Diamond | Won, 23-19 |
February 17 | Seattle Seawolves | Away | Starfire Stadium | Lost, 30-35 |
February 22 | Houston SaberCats | Away | Aveva Stadium | Won, 44-27 |
March 2 | Glendale Raptors | Away | Infinity Park | Lost, 0-22 |
March 10 | San Diego Legion | Away | Torero Stadium | Won, 27-20 |
March 15 | Rugby United New York | Away | MCU Park | Lost, 21-24 |
March 30 | Utah Warriors | Away | Zions Bank Stadium | Won, 64–31 |
April 7 | New Orleans Gold | Home | Alumni Field | Lost, 31–35 |
April 21 | Houston SaberCats | Home | Alumni Field | Won, 35-21 |
April 28 | Seattle Seawolves | Home | Alumni Field | Won, 29-7 |
May 5 | San Diego Legion | Home | Lamport Stadium | Won, 23–19 |
May 9 | Austin Elite | Home | Alumni Field | Won, 24–13 |
May 12 | Utah Warriors | Home | Lamport Stadium | Won, 28–21 |
May 26 | Glendale Raptors | Home | Lamport Stadium | Won, 40–12 |
June 2 | Rugby United New York | Home | Lamport Stadium | Won, 22-20 |
Post season[]
Date | Opponent | Home/Away | Location | Result |
---|---|---|---|---|
June 9 | Seattle Seawolves | Away | Starfire Sports | Loss, 17-30 |
2020 season[]
On March 12, 2020, MLR announced the season would go on hiatus immediately for 30 days due to the COVID-19 pandemic.[20] On March 19, 2020, MLR announced that they had cancelled the season and all remaining games for 2020.[21]
Regular season[]
Date | Opponent | Home/Away | Location | Result |
---|---|---|---|---|
February 9 | Austin Gilgronis | Away | Circuit of the Americas | Won, 38-10 |
February 16 | Houston SaberCats | Neutral | Sam Boyd Stadium | Won, 27-22 |
February 22 | Seattle Seawolves | Away | Starfire Sports Complex | Won, 39-17 |
March 1 | Rugby ATL | Away | Life University Running Eagles Stadium | Won, 28-18 |
March 6 | Colorado Raptors | Away | Infinity Park | Lost, 19-22 |
March 22 | Rugby United New York | Away | MCU Park | Cancelled |
March 28 | New Orleans Gold | Away | Gold Mine | |
April 4 | Utah Warriors | Home | York Alumni Stadium | |
April 11 | New England Free Jacks | Home | York Alumni Stadium | |
April 19 | Rugby ATL | Home | Lamport Stadium | |
April 26 | Old Glory DC | Away | Cardinal Stadium | |
May 1 | New Orleans Gold | Home | Lamport Stadium | |
May 10 | San Diego Legion | Home | Lamport Stadium | |
May 18 | New England Free Jacks | Away | Union Point Sports Complex | |
May 22 | Rugby United New York | Home | Lamport Stadium | |
May 30 | Old Glory DC | Home | Lamport Stadium |
2021 season[]
Due to the Canadian federal government closing the border between the USA and Canada in response to the Covid-19 pandemic, Toronto relocated to Marietta, Georgia for the 2021 season.[22] Although intended to be for the start of the season, the ongoing pandemic meant that all of the Arrow’s “home” games were played at Lupo Family Field, sharing the ground with Rugby ATL for the season.
Regular season[]
Date | Opponent | Home/Away | Result |
---|---|---|---|
March 20 | Rugby ATL | Away | Lost, 14-21 |
March 27 | Utah Warriors | Away | Lost, 24-39 |
April 3 | Old Glory DC | Away | Won, 40-19 |
April 10 | LA Giltinis | Home | Lost, 16-43 |
April 17 | Seattle Seawolves | Home | Won, 52-7 |
April 25 | Rugby United New York | Away | Won, 53-12 |
May 2 | New Orleans Gold | Away | Lost, 14-22 |
May 9 | Rugby ATL | Home | Lost, 29-33 |
May 15 | Houston SaberCats | Away | Won, 19-10 |
May 29 | New England Free Jacks | Away | Lost, 12-14 |
June 6 | San Diego Legion | Home | Lost, 30-40 |
June 12 | Austin Gilgronis | Away | Lost, 47-21 |
June 20 | New Orleans Gold | Home | Lost, 12-18 |
June 27 | Rugby United New York | Home | Lost, 24-31 |
July 4 | Old Glory DC | Home | Won, 34-28 |
July 11 | New England Free Jacks | Home | Lost, 17-28 |
2022 season[]
Regular season[]
Date | Opponent | Home/Away | Result |
---|---|---|---|
February 6 | Seattle Seawolves | Away | |
February 11 | LA Giltinis | Home | |
February 19 | New Orleans Gold | Away | |
February 26 | Old Glory DC | Away | |
March 12 | New England Free Jacks | Away | |
March 19 | Utah Warriors | Away | |
March 27 | Rugby United NY | Away | |
April 2 | Rugby ATL | Home | |
April 9 | Old Glory DC | Home | |
April 16 | New Orleans Gold | Home | |
April 23 | Houston SaberCats | Away | |
May 8 | Rugby United NY | Home | |
May 14 | Dallas Jackals | Home | |
May 19 | New England Free Jacks | Home | |
May 28 | Rugby ATL | Away | |
June 5 | Old Glory DC | Home |
References[]
- ^ "MLR Announces Additions of Toronto and Washington, D.C." usmlr.com. Major League Rugby. Retrieved November 2, 2018.
- ^ "Major League Rugby adds Ontario Arrows for 2019". Americas Rugby News. September 25, 2018. Archived from the original on September 25, 2019. Retrieved September 25, 2018.
- ^ "Ontario Arrows: The Rise of Canada's Next-Gen High Performance Team". Aedelhard. Retrieved May 8, 2018.
- ^ "New York and Ontario in Major League Rugby talks". November 13, 2017. Retrieved May 8, 2018.
- ^ "Ontario Arrows to launch Elite Rugby Team in September". August 25, 2017. Retrieved May 8, 2018.
- ^ Davidson, Neil (September 8, 2017). "Ontario Arrows take first step toward becoming pro rugby outfit". Toronto Star. Retrieved May 8, 2018.
- ^ "MLR reveals Finals Locations and Expansion Plans". March 7, 2018. Retrieved May 8, 2018.
- ^ "Glendale gets even with Ontario - Americas Rugby News". www.americasrugbynews.com. Retrieved May 8, 2018.
- ^ "Ontario Arrows score 12 tries in 77-8 win over Boston Mystics". djcoilrugby. May 5, 2018. Retrieved May 8, 2018.
- ^ "Release: Ontario Arrows Planning Major League Rugby Entry for 2019". Ontario Arrows. July 16, 2018. Retrieved July 16, 2018.
- ^ "Major League Rugby Announces Additions of Toronto and DC". Ontario Arrows. November 2, 2018. Archived from the original on November 3, 2018.
- ^ a b "Toronto Arrows will join Major League Rugby". Toronto Star. November 2, 2018. Retrieved November 8, 2018.
- ^ Campbell, Morgan (December 11, 2018). "Expansion Toronto Arrows join Major League Rugby with optimism and business savvy". Toronto Star. Retrieved December 15, 2018.
- ^ "Toronto Arrows Announce Ticketing Details, Home Venues for 2019 Major League Rugby Season". Toronto Arrows. January 17, 2019. Retrieved January 20, 2019.
- ^ "Toronto Arrows Club to Establish Temporary Home in Atlanta". OurSports Central. February 3, 2021.
- ^ "ARROWS ANNOUNCE 2022 REGULAR SEASON SCHEDULE". Toronto Arrows. November 9, 2021. Retrieved November 10, 2021.
- ^ "Toronto Arrows Announce TSN as 2020 Media Partner". Toronto Arrows. February 20, 2020. Retrieved February 20, 2020.
- ^ "Toronto Arrows Media Partner TSN to Deliver New 'Arrows in an Hour' Series". Toronto Arrows. May 28, 2020. Retrieved May 28, 2020.
- ^ "Toronto Arrows". Americas Rugby News. Retrieved December 11, 2021.
- ^ "Major League Rugby Suspends 2020 Season for 30 Days". Major League Rugby. March 12, 2020. Retrieved March 12, 2020.
- ^ "Major League Rugby has Decided to Cancel the Remainder of the 2020 Season and Turn Attention to 2021". Major League Rugby. March 19, 2020. Retrieved March 19, 2020.
- ^ "Toronto Arrows to establish temporary home in Atlanta for start of 2021 season". Toronto Arrows. Retrieved July 27, 2021.
External links[]
- Toronto Arrows
- Major League Rugby teams
- Rugby union teams in Ontario
- Rugby teams in Toronto
- Rugby clubs established in 2017