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The Toronto Arrows have signed Ramón Ayarza. The Canadian Major League Rugby (MLR) franchise will be home to the Chilean for the 2023 MLR season.
For Ayarza the move comes at the age of 29. It will be the third continent in which the Chilean has played professional rugby. Ayarza joins the Toronto Arrows from Soyaux Angouleme XV Charente. The Chilean helped the team win promotion from the Nationale to the Pro D2 in the 2021-2022 season.
During his nine years of professional rugby, Ramón Ayarza has played in France for Anglet, Bayonne, Carcassonne, Montauban, ROC La Voulte and the aforementioned Charente. He also briefly played for Selknam. His move to Canada comes with him having 13 test caps to his name. The product of Old Boys is a possibility for Los Cóndores at the World Cup.
Ayarza made his test debut for Chile against Spain in 2013. He helped Los Cóndores to their inaugural win in the Americas Rugby Championship (ARC) in 2016.
His regular test position is loose head prop though the Toronto Arrows announced the arrival of Ayarza as him being a hooker.
Ayatza played in France alongside Canadian Matt Beukeboom. The Canadian was instrumental in encouraging Ayarza to sign for the Toronto Arrows. The move will see Ayarza becoming the first Chilean to play for the Arrows. He told the Toronto Arrows that his objective is to play for Chile at the World Cup.
