Ontario Arrows finally make home debut as investors kick pro rugby tires

Saturday afternoon’s game at York University against the Mystics, who are also looking into joining MLR, offers a firsthand test of how the Arrows draw at home.

On the plus side, tickets are reasonably priced — $15 in advance and $20 on the day — with kids getting in for free. But the game won’t be played at the York University Pan American Games stadium because the pitch is not yet ready. Instead it will be played on the football field.

The Arrows are also going up against rugby league’s Wolfpack, whose home debut is Saturday at Fletcher’s Field.

An announcement on a second Arrows home game, which should be played at the Pan Am stadium, is expected soon.

The Arrows’ matchday 23 features five Canadian internationals in forwards Rob Brouwer, Tom Dolezel and Paul Cuilini and backs Andrew Ferguson and Kainoa Lloyd. Captain Mike Sheppard has played for Canada ‘A’ while fly half Will Kelly represented Canada at the under-20 level.

The team, coached by Chris Silverthorn, beat the Mystics 29-19 in Boston on April 22.

After investigating Major League Rugby late last year, Arrows co-founder Bill Webb and a group of fellow rugby enthusiasts decided to fund a team for an exhibition season to see if the project is viable.

The Arrows debuted last September in a 41-7 loss in Colorado to Gendale, which is now part of MLR. They resumed play in March.

“It has to be a viable business over the long term,” said Webb. “Obviously there will be significant investment in the early days. People aren’t going to get rich investing in professional rugby, quite frankly, but hopefully it will become a self-sustaining and successful league over time.”

While the 54-year-old Webb and his partners are taking care of the travel costs and expenses, the players are not getting paid during this testing-out process. They will should the Arrows end up in MLR.

The team, whose budget is “a couple of hundred thousand dollars” for the test season, has already drawn support from sponsors.

Like Major League Soccer, MLR owners buy an equal stake in the league with regular, significant capital calls. The investment will be in the millions over a five-year period, according to Webb.

Players are contracted to the league with teams operating under a salary cap.

“We’re going to make that judgment as to whether we want to apply for MLR ownership-membership in the next couple of months,” said Webb.

Chief investment officer at Waypoint Investment Partners, Webb played for the Brantford Harlequins and Wilfrid Laurier University and is a member of Rugby Canada’s board.

Sheppard, the Arrows skipper, says the players are enjoying the venture.

“It’s been pretty crazy so far but it’s been a lot of fun,” said the 29-year-old lock, whose day job is as distribution manager for ColdHaus, a craft beer distribution company.

“Everything been very very professional,” he added.

Ontario Arrows

Rob Brouwer, Jack McRogers, Tom Dolezel, Mike Sheppard (capt.), Paul Ciulini, Marcelo Wainwright, Peter Milazzo, Kolby Francis, Andrew Ferguson, Will Kelly, John Sheridan, Mitch Richardson, Jon West, Kainoa Lloyd, Shawn Windsor.

Replacements

Cam Sandison, Pat Lynott, Mike Smith, Josh Van Horne, Andrew Wilson, Al Gliksten, Kyle Lagasca, Cooper Coats.

For more information, visit https://ontarioarrowsrugby.com/

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Neil Davidson, The Canadian Press

by Canadian Press

Ontario Arrows finally make home debut as investors kick pro rugby tires

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