Toronto Arrows
 | |
| Full name | Ontario Arrows |
|---|---|
| Nickname(s) | Arrows |
| Founded | 2017 |
| Location | Toronto, Ontario, Canada |
| Ground(s) | York Lions Stadium, York University (Capacity: 3700 [1]) |
| President | Bill Webb |
| Coach(es) | Chris Silverthorn |
| Captain(s) | Mike Sheppard |
| League(s) | Major League Rugby |
| Official website | |
| ontarioarrowsrugby | |
The Ontario Arrows is a rugby union club based out of Toronto in Canada that plays in Major League Rugby as of 2019.[2]. The Arrows team is an independent off-shoot of the Ontario Blues Rugby Football Club and is funded by a group of private investors and supporters.[3] The team's home field is York Lions Stadium on the Keele Campus of York University.
History
The Ontario Arrows team was founded in 2017 with the intent of joining the Major League Rugby competition for the 2019 season.[4][5][6][7]
The Arrows debuted September 9, 2017 in a match against the Glendale Merlins, suffering a loss of 41–7.[8]
In Spring 2018 the Ontario Arrows established a 6 game exhibition match schedule that would see them play the Houston SaberCats, Rugby United New York, Utah Warriors, and Boston's Mystic River Rugby Club. This line up was extended to include games against the Canada Selects.[9] The Ontario Arrows' 2018 home opener was a decided victory over the Mystic River Rugby Club.
In July 2018 the Arrows announced that MLR had granted them exclusive rights to negotiate for a franchise in Ontario.[10] MLR commissioner Dean Howes officially welcomed the Ontario Arrows to Major League Rugby in September 2018, ahead of the team joining the league for the 2019 season.[2]
Current Squad
The Ontario Arrows lineup for 2018 as of September 29, 2017: [11]
Note: Flags indicate national union under World Rugby eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-World Rugby nationality.
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Coaching Staff
- Chris Silverthorn (Head Coach)
- David Butcher (Assistant Coach)
- Aaron Carpenter (Assistant Coach)
- Cory Hector (Assistant Coach)
Staff
- Mark Winokur (General Manager)
- Rodin Lozada (Performance Analyst)
- Chris Kelly (Athletic Therapist)
- Dr. John Gillis (Team Doctor)
2018 Season (Exhibition)
Spring
| Date | Opponent | Home/Away | Location | Result | W/L/D | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2018-03-03 | Houston SaberCats | Away | Constellaton Field | 28-28 | D | |
| 2018-03-17 | Rugby United New York | Away | Mazzella Field | 19-36 | L | |
| 2018-04-06 | Utah Warriors | Away | Rio Tinto Stadium | 24-20 | W | |
| 2018-04-14 | Rugby United New York | Home | York Alumni Stadium | P-P | - | |
| 2018-04-21 | Boston Mystics | Away | Pine Banks Park | 29-19 | W | |
| 2018-05-05 | Boston Mystics | Home | York Alumni Stadium | 77-8 | W | |
| 2018-05-18 | Canada Selects | Home | York Lions Stadium | 19-0 | L | |
| 2018-05-26 | Canada Selects | Away | Westhills Stadium | 58-28 | L |
2019 Season
Fall (Exhibition)
| Date | Opponent | Home/Away | Location | Result | W/L/D | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2018-09-16 | Glendale Raptors | Home | York Lions Stadium | 40-18 | W | |
| 2018-10-20 | New England Free Jacks | Home | Wanderers Grounds |
References
- ^ "Ontario Arrows announce York University as 2018 home venue". Rugby Canada. 2018-03-06. Retrieved 2018-05-08.
- ^ a b "Major League Rugby adds Ontario Arrows for 2019". Americas Rugby News. 2018-09-25. Archived from the original on 2019-09-25. Retrieved 2018-09-25.
{{cite web}}:|archive-date=/|archive-url=timestamp mismatch; 2018-09-25 suggested (help); Unknown parameter|deadurl=ignored (|url-status=suggested) (help) - ^ "Ontario Arrows: The Rise of Canada's Next-Gen High Performance Team". Aedelhard. Retrieved 2018-05-08.
- ^ "New York and Ontario in Major League Rugby talks". 2017-11-13. Retrieved 2018-05-08.
- ^ "Ontario Arrows to launch Elite Rugby Team in September". 2017-08-25. Retrieved 2018-05-08.
- ^ Davidson, Neil (2017-09-08). "Ontario Arrows take first step toward becoming pro rugby outfit". Toronto Star. Retrieved 2018-05-08.
- ^ "MLR reveals Finals Locations and Expansion Plans". 2018-03-07. Retrieved 2018-05-08.
- ^ "Glendale gets even with Ontario - Americas Rugby News". www.americasrugbynews.com. Retrieved 2018-05-08.
- ^ "Ontario Arrows score 12 tries in 77-8 win over Boston Mystics". djcoilrugby. 2018-05-05. Retrieved 2018-05-08.
- ^ "RELEASE: Ontario Arrows Planning Major League Rugby Entry for 2019". Ontario Arrows. 2018-07-16. Retrieved 2018-07-16.
- ^ a b "2018 Major League Rugby - Ontario Arrows - Americas Rugby News". www.americasrugbynews.com. Retrieved 2018-05-08.
