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One of two expansion sides in the 2019 Major League Rugby season, the Toronto Arrows are unique in that they are the first and only Canadian side in the league. In fact they are the first ever professional rugby union franchise from the Great White North and with that historic fact comes both responsibility and expectation. Having evolved from one of North America’s strongest amateur outfits, the Ontario Blues, there’s every reason to think this team will be just as successful in the professional arena.
The Arrows were not part of the inaugural MLR season but did play a series of seven exhibition fixtures in the spring. They drew with the Houston SaberCats at Constellation Field and then defeated the Utah Warriors at Rio Tinto Stadium before back-to-back wins over the Boston Mystics. Rugby United New York proved too strong at Iona College in March but the Arrows cruised to one-sided wins over the Glendale Raptors and New England Free Jacks in two fall fixtures.
OFF-SEASON MOVES
Roughly two-thirds of the side are returning players and while a few local players were left out in the fall only three players have moved to pastures new. Canada prop Djustice Sears-Duru opted to move west where he will play with the Seattle Seawolves. Snappy scrumhalf Alex Gliksten returned to the Saracens academy in London and flyhalf Will Kelly took up an academy offer from the Dragons in Wales.
As the only Canadian franchise the Arrows had access to the best domestic talent from across the country and have recruited wisely. Young prop Cole Keith arrives from New Brunswick, while the British Columbia supplies midfielder Guiseppe du Toit and breakout star Theo Sauder.
HOME FIELD
Toronto have a unique schedule that will see them play the first eight games all on the road, and the last eight at home. They will split their home games between two venues with York Alumni Stadium taking the first four and Lamport Stadium the last four. Both feature turf surfaces.
York will appeal to those based outside the city-center and is the smaller of the two though it will be fitted with expanded seating to accommodate the Arrows and the York 9, a new professional soccer team. Lamport is much larger with a capacity of 9,600 and is located just west of the downtown core.
HEAD COACH
Continuity is king with the Arrows and while this will be Chris Silverthorn‘s maiden voyage in MLR, he boasts more than eight years of experience at the helm of Ontario’s elite representative side and has spent time with multiple Canadian teams including the senior men. The 46-year-old is pragmatic and composed. He is not the sort to be found cursing or gesticulating on the sidelines. Silverthorn has a strong supporting cast that includes Cory Hector and former Canada captain Aaron Carpenter, long-time analyst Rodin Lozada, and one newcomer in former Seawolves kicker Peter Smith.
CAPTAIN
A change just ahead of the regular season saw Lucas Rumball take the captain’s armband from Mike Sheppard. Perhaps it should not have been a surprise given that Rumball will be leading Canada in the absence of Phil Mack during the early rounds of the Americas Rugby Championship. The hard-working flanker has had his ups and downs in form since his test debut in 2016 but has quietly put together a string of top performances that saw him overtake Matt Heaton in the openside pecking order for Canada.
KEY PLAYERS
Perhaps the change will be a relief to Mike Sheppard, who vaulted into World Cup contention with some impressive performances in his first ever senior international tour. The 30-year-old is a little short for a test lock at 6’4″ (1.93m) but makes up for it with his rugby IQ and ferocious commitment in the contact area. ‘Shep’ leads first by example and will be an inspirational figure in the pack.
The team has purposely avoided excessive expenditures on import players but those they have brought in are quality. Sam Malcolm broke into the Manawatu side after a stellar season with West Harbour in the Shute Shield. It wasn’t enough to get a Super Rugby deal and instead of putting around he instead packed his bags for Canada. The New Zealand Universities international is small in stature but a quick thinker who can step and kick off either foot.
Toronto has loads of talent out wide but Theo Sauder brings something a little different. Having starred as a winger with Canada’s u20 program, Sauder was a cup-winning flyhalf for the UBC Thunderbirds but has settled at fullback for Canada. He debuted in June and the 22-year-old’s electric attacking abilities quickly earned him the starting role for the World Cup Qualifiers in November. Wherever he plays for the Arrows, look for Sauder to make his fair share of highlight reels over the course of the season.
ONE TO WATCH
Tighthead props tend to get better with age but a youngster who has already reached considerable heights is ‘the Beast from the East’ – Cole Keith. Hailing from the small town of Sussex, New Brunswick, the 21-year-old is a throwback to a simpler time when props were feisty, disagreeable sorts. He might take the odd penalty but this is a player who genuinely loves to scrum his opposite into the dirt. Keith already has 9 tests on his resume and is certain to add many more after testing his destructive powers against the best that MLR has to offer.
STRENGTHS
If the above paragraph didn’t say it clearly enough, expect the Arrows scrum to challenge Seattle for the title of MLR’s best. Rob Brouwer and Tom Dolezel are among the most experienced front rowers in the league while Morgan Mitchell has arrived from New Zealand’s Mitre 10 Cup. Paul Ciulini and the van Horne twins are meaty second rows who specialise in grinding down opposing forward packs.
A couple extra forwards might be nice to fill out the roster, but as it stands this team has arguably the most impressive top-to-bottom depth in the league. They could field two completely separate starting XVs and the second would be nearly as competitive as the first.
QUESTIONS
The absence of genuine international height at the lineout may prove costly against the likes of Austin and New Orleans. They will counter that with accuracy and creativity, with Peter Milazzo a favored target and Jack Nay to add a useful middle option when he arrives from England in a couple weeks.
While there is speed to burn out wide, the same can’t be said for the midfield. Toronto’s primary center options can all kick and all are capable of stepping in as a first receiver, but don’t expect many classic outside center breaks unless the team does a little experimenting.
OUTLOOK
As we saw last season, a team with a strong scrum, sound fundamentals, solid defense, and quality goal kicking can go a long way in MLR. Toronto ticks all those boxes. They may be an expansion side but the bulk of the squad has been together for years and even some of the newcomers are familiar faces from international training camps. If they can come through the arduous first half of the season in decent shape they will be very hard to stop on the home stretch. Expect Toronto to be one of the four left standing at the close of the regular season.
TRANSFERS
IN: Cole Keith (PR, James Bay), Morgan Mitchell (PR, Southland Stags, NZ), John Moonlight (FL, Canada Sevens), Jack Nay (N8, Saracens, UK), Jamie Mackenzie (SH, Balmy Beach), Sam Malcolm (FH, Manawatu Turbos, NZ), Guiseppe du Toit (CE, UVic Vikes), Spencer Jones (CE, Westshore), Avery Oitomen (CE, Cardiff Met, UK), Leandro Leivas (WI, Old Christians, UR), Dan Moor (WI, Yorkshire Carnegie), Gastón Mieres (WI/FB, Lobos, UR), Jack Evans (FB, Cardiff RFC, UK), Theo Sauder (FB, UBC Thunderbirds)
OUT: Djustice Sears-Duru (PR, Seattle Seawolves), Andrew Wilson (N8), Alex Gliksten (SH, Saracens, UK), Will Kelly (FH, Dragons, UK), Josh Campbell (WI)
