When the 2020 Major League Rugby season was cancelled because of the COVID-19 pandemic, focus immediately shifted to the 2021 season. As the start of the 2021 MLR season started approaching, things started opening up and returning to normal throughout different parts of the United States, but that wasn’t the case north of the border in Canada.
The country was still in a lockdown with different rules applying across the nation, including different travel restrictions and regulations, and that left the Toronto Arrows with a lot of unknown answers heading into the 2021 campaign.
How would the Arrows, the lone Canadian franchise in a 12-team league, be able to compete this year if they’re not able to cross the border? Where would they be able to temporarily relocate to and get set up in time for the season? Will the sponsors be on board for a move that leaves the team with zero home games?
These were all questions that needed to be answered if the Arrows were going to compete in the 2021 MLR season and they got the answered they needed.
Toronto Arrows President and Majority Owner Bill Webb, COO and General Manager Mark Winokur, Director of Rugby Chris Silverthorn and Toronto Arrows centre and co-captain Ben LeSage took some time to sit down and share what it’s been like playing out the “ultimate road trip” this year, calling Atlanta home for the time being, and the work that went into making the 2021 season possible for the Arrows.
TEMPORARY RELOCATION TO ATLANTA
Bill Webb, Toronto Arrows President and Majority Owner: We talked to a number of different cities and we thought that Atlanta worked out for a couple of different reasons; one, a decent climate. We had to get down there at the beginning of the season, which began in March, so we wanted to be somewhere where the weather would be good for our ‘home games’, relocated home games which we did. They also have a very good facility there for playing and practicing, and the ownership group we get along with extremely well. We had a few choices, but in the end Atlanta ticked all the boxes and they have been great partners.
Mark Winokur, COO & General Manager of the Toronto Arrows: Essentially we moved an entire professional franchise to a foreign country to try and operate under unusual and stressful conditions and it’s gone about as well as could be hoped, but I don’t think the expectations were that high to begin with…Not knowing who to trust, who to go to, not having your infrastructure of friends, family and contacts around you. Easy to do in Ontario; ‘Hey, I need a practice field’, I call this guy and it’s done. Here, you’re really starting from scratch and there’s a general sort of discomfort about what you can get away with and what needs to be massaged, what the boundaries and limitations on things are that we don’t know going in.
Chris Silverthorn - Director of Rugby, Toronto Arrows: It’s been a journey, that’s for sure, it’s been quite different. When we first got here our players had a bit of a culture shock going from Canada where they’ve been pretty much locked down for the best part of the year, and a full lockdown in Toronto since basically December 24th, and then we get to Atlanta and everything’s open, masks are a here and there kind of thing.
Ben LeSage - Centre and Co-Captain, Toronto Arrows: We’ve spent a lot of time with each other. The first few weeks coming down there was definitely an adjustment period just getting used to living in the hotel, sorting out your meals, living with a roommate in a hotel room, but I think we’ve definitely settled in, especially over the past few weeks we’ve gotten into a routine and gotten comfortable with it and now it does feel like when we come back from our away games it feels like we’re coming home so that’s a good sign that we’re settling in finally.
Getting used to living in a different city, in a hotel room, and away from their family and friends for months on end are major adjustments to make, especially when it’s all happening during a pandemic and you can’t really go anywhere. And those weren’t the only adjustments they had to make as they also had to get used to a different kind of heat that doesn’t arrive in Toronto until the prime days of the summer, and that’s not even guaranteed.
ADJUSTING TO THE GEORGIA HEAT
Chris Silverthorn: The last couple of weeks it’s been very hot, though. At practice last Monday they took a reading of the field and it was 136 degrees for practice. So it was short and sweet, about 45 minutes, then we got the guys off the pitch because it was just burning their feet up, it was too hot. It’s very different for a bunch of Canadian kids to be in that kind of heat, that’s for sure.
Ben LeSage: It’s been incredibly hot training in some of the afternoons in the Georgia heat in the humidity as well, so that’s been a new thing, but in general over the 8 weeks it’s been great.
With the Arrows being the only Canadian franchise in the league, they haven’t been able to play in front of a true home crowd this year, but that doesn’t mean the support isn’t there for them south of the border. Every game is technically a road game for them, even their “home games”, but the fans have been out showing their support at the games and online.
SUPPORT ON THE ROAD
Chris Silverthorn: The support back home has been fantastic. Just seeing that we’re the only ones playing rugby and the overall energy of the fans and supporters have been good. They’ve reached out, we’ve had quite a few reach out personally to the players. With social media now you’re always connected, so it’s good and it has been nice to have that connection back home. It’s funny, almost all of our road games there’s always someone from Canada in the stands that’s got some sort of Rugby Canada shirt on or an Arrows kit, or an Ontario Blues shirt, we saw some of those in the crowd in Houston which was fantastic.
Bill Webb: We have a partnership with Metrolinx and they put up an electronic billboard on the Gardiner Expressway and also one on York Mills near Leslie, which is great. Metrolinx has come on as a new partner of ours, so even in a COVID era we’re bringing on new partners who are helping us spread the word of who the Arrows are.
The support for the Arrows during their season away from home has been tremendous. And it’s not just their fanbase showing them appreciation and respect as they tough it out more than 1,500 km away from home, it’s the rest of the league, too, from the players to the front office staff.
SUPPORT FROM AROUND THE LEAGUE
Mark Winokur: Most of the general managers have been pretty supportive. Most of them have said they can’t actually believe that we’re doing this, that it seems like an unbelievable amount of heavy lifting. But we didn’t really have an option, we had to participate in this year’s league and given the health situation in the world this is what we had to do.
Ben LeSage: There’s definitely some earned respect, maybe a few of them happy that they’re not playing for the Arrows this season, but we hope to flip that around with a playoff run and a title. But there’s definitely a general respect around the league understanding that a 2,3,4-game road trip is a big ask for a lot of others teams, so to make it pretty much a permanent one is sort of going above and beyond, I think just sort of a respect that we’ve been able to show and play good rugby on a week in and week out basis. It’s been really well received and appreciate the sentiment that we’ve received so far.
While the season hasn’t gone as planned for the Arrows, they’ve made it work to the best of their ability. They didn’t sit around, they went out and found a way to make the 2021 season happen. They found a place for the team to play and practice. They found a place for the players to live. They helped them get vaccinated so they could stay safe while playing out the season in a different country. They continue to find new sponsors and supporters. And they continue to keep trucking through their schedule.
Even if they don’t come out with the result they were hoping for on the field at the end of the season, they can still consider this a somewhat successful year considering they made it all happen and are competing every single week despite not having a true home field or a close group of friends and families nearby.
