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Make it seven reinforcements for the Toronto Arrows as they prepare for the final month of their 2021 campaign. Veteran prop Rob Brouwer has joined the team south of the border and there are three newcomers announced today – French prop Alexandre Janlin, Canadian lock Hank Stevenson, and Irish back row Ronan Foley.
Brouwer has technically been on the Arrows roster all season but was unable to travel with the team to Georgia due to professional commitments. The 38-year-old Canadian international bolsters a front row set to be depleted by the loss of Cole Keith and Tyler Rowland to Canada’s approaching UK tour.
Janlin, 26, is a loosehead specialist who joins from Auch in the French Fédérale 1 having previously spent time in the Toulouse academy. He qualifies for Canada through his Montreal-born father and with a dearth of front row options at the pro level could quickly come to the attention of national selectors.
Stevenson arrives on loan from the Utah Warriors, who he signed with earlier this year after with withdrawal of the Dallas Jackals. The 21-year-old has represented Canada at u20 level but has yet to make his professional debut.
Foley arrives with a Canadian passport acquired through his parents, who are naturalized citizens, but is not Canadian-eligible. The 22-year-old represented Ireland in the 2018 u20 Six Nations and has most recently captained UCD in the All-Ireland league.
The signings follow the previously-confirmed additions of Joe Tomlinson, Ollie Nott, and Sam Malcolm. Toronto are set to lose a dozen players to international commitments with nine currently selected for Canada and three for Uruguay.
