Mike Sheppard will return for a fifth Major League Rugby campaign with the Toronto Arrows. The 33-year-old lock is the fourth re-signing of the off-season for the club, following Sam Malcolm, Mitch Richardson, and James O’Neill. Canadian-eligible center Nic Benn is the only new addition to date.
A leading player for the team since their inception, Sheppard captained the Arrows in 2022 and has now made 44 professional appearances for the club. This past season he started 14 games, missing only the match against Dallas and the season finale against DC.
Sheppard has 11 test caps for Canada but hasn’t made a test appearance since the 2019 World Cup. His most frequent second row partner with the Arrows has been fellow international Paul Ciulini, with Adrian Wadden and Kyle Baillie also packing down in the engine room in 2022.