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Former Pumas prop Gastón Cortes is among the latest batch of signings confirmed by the Toronto Arrows for the 2021 Major League Rugby season. The 34-year-old tighthead specialist arrives from Leicester Tigers via Glasgow Warriors, where he has been on loan since February.
Cortes made his test debut against Chile in 2011. After a six-year hiatus he won his 5th and final cap against New Zealand in 2018. For the last eight years Cortes has been stationed in the UK, joining Bristol in 2012 and making the switch to Leicester in 2018.
A second new player comes at the opposite end of the career spectrum. Canada u20 and Pacific Pride rep Siaki Vikilani adds physicality to Toronto’s back row stocks. Still a month shy of his 20th birthday, Siaki is the youngest of three Vikilani brothers – Fuku and Taitusi the others – who have excelled with Burnaby Lake in the BC Premier League.
In addition three players have secured their return for 2021. Cole Keith, 23, has reportedly signed a two-year deal, though the Arrows did not confirm the contract length. The New Brunswick native and World Cup tighthead was in career-best form for Toronto when the season was suspended.
Fellow Canadian international Paul Ciulini anchors the scrum from the second row. One of MLR’s most consistent big men, the 6’5″ (1.96m) heavyweight has appeared in all but one of Toronto’s games in MLR. At 24 years old he still has plenty of time to add to his 8 test caps.
One of three Uruguayans at the club 2020, Gastón Mieres is the first of the trio to be locked in for 2021. The 30-year-old wing or fullback has scored 8 tries in his two seasons in MLR despite missing time due to international commitments before arriving in 2019.
