RUGBY ONTARIO & TORONTO ARROWS OBJAA ANNOUNCEMENT

January 19, 2021

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RUGBY ONTARIO AND TORONTO ARROWS ANNOUCE ONTARIO BLUES JUNIOR ARROWS ACADEMY LOGO, BRAND

19 January 2021

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

TORONTO, ON – Rugby Ontario and the Toronto Arrows Rugby Football Club are pleased to announce the logo and branding for the jointly-run Ontario Blues Junior Arrows Academy

The logo draws inspiration from both organizations, utilizing design elements and colours from both Rugby Ontario and the Toronto Arrows to arrive at the collaborative finished product.

The foundational brand story for the Academy has also been announced, outlining the guiding principles and core philosophy of the program.

The Academy, originally launched this past October, is a program that provides age-grade Ontario athletes an opportunity to train and learn from top-level provincial, national and professional coaches in an environment designed to prepare them for the next step of their rugby journey.

Jointly-created by the provincial sports governing body and Canada’s first professional rugby union team, the non-residential Ontario Blues Junior Arrows Academy acts as an extension of Rugby Ontario’s Winter Skills Academy, where selected under-15 to under-18 athletes receive an additional 26 sessions – 13 technical/tactical, 13 strength and conditioning – from October 2020 to April 2021.

The Academy was able to safely and effectively run its first training block between October and December, with several sessions completed prior to provincial restrictions forcing the suspension of in-person, group activities. The program has since pivoted to online delivery to ensure athletes are still engaged and developing despite the inability to train as a group. 

Virtual sessions have included presentations from Lucas Rumball (Junior / Senior Blues alumnus; current player with Canada Men’s 15s program, Toronto Arrows senior team) and Brock Webster (Junior Blues, Canada u20 alumnus; current player with Canada Men’s 7s program), where they discussed their rugby journeys and provided guidance to this group of aspiring young players. 

Athletes have remained actively engaged in activities centered on strength and conditioning, nutrition, and mental performance as programs have been adapted to fit the constraints of training at home.

We have been thrilled with the launch of the program and have been impressed with the player growth we have already seen in such a short period of time,” said Sean Medeiros, Rugby Ontario High Performance Coordinator and Academy Director. “Despite the current pause to in-person training, player development has continued in an online capacity with weekly meetings and webinars. The continued engagement we’ve had from players and staff speaks to the passion they have for the sport and their commitment to get better each day.”

“Culture and identity have been key pillars of the Ontario Blues Junior Arrows Academy from day one. The release of this logo and its story gives our players and staff a symbol to connect with and get behind on their journey to higher rugby honours. As we continue to build our shared culture of growth in pursuit of excellence, it’s our goal to ensure everyone who enters this program leaves it as a better player and person.”

“The logo, while symbolic in nature, further demonstrates our ongoing partnership and commitment to player development,” added Cory Hector, Toronto Arrows Academy Director. “While our rugby sessions have been temporarily disrupted, the players and coaches have continued to demonstrate our shared values, and the momentum we built through the end of 2020 leaves us well-positioned to hit the ground running in 2021.”

The inaugural roster of the Ontario Blues Junior Arrows Academy athletes features 41 athletes representing 15 Ontario clubs. 

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Ontario Blues Junior Arrows Academy Brand Story

Progression.  

We’re all here for the game. 

It’s what drives us to grow. To move forward. To be the best player, and person, that we can be. 

It’s our passion. 

But we’re also here for each other.

Whether we’re putting in the hard yards at training. Or standing shoulder-to-shoulder in the stadium. 

When we win, we win as one. 

When we lose, we lift each other up. 

The trillium keeps us aware of our roots. The arrow keeps us pointed forward, focused on the next goal. 

And no matter how far we go, we push ourselves to go further. 

We do it for our clubs. 

Do it for our city. 

Do it for our province. 

All together as one. 

All in as we progress. 

One Team, One Target.

ABOUT THE ONTARIO BLUES

The Ontario Blues program is the high performance representative program for male and female rugby players in Ontario. Rugby Ontario is represented at the provincial level by the Ontario Blues. The program includes representative teams from Under-15 to Senior in both Women’s and Men’s Fifteens and Under-18 Men's and Women's Sevens. Specifically, the program is designed to develop and showcase rugby players for Canadian representative national teams.


ABOUT THE TORONTO ARROWS

The Toronto Arrows Rugby Football Club is Canada's First professional rugby union team. Competing in Major League Rugby, the team is equipped to compete against top-tier North American club teams, providing emerging Canadian Talent with enhanced and more frequent opportunities to hone their skills at an elite level. 


For more information, visit www.torontoarrows.com 


ABOUT RUGBY ONTARIO

Rugby Ontario is the provincial sports governing body responsible for the organization of rugby in Ontario. Our mission is to establish a stronger identity for rugby in Ontario by promoting the sport’s core values and by fostering a culture of inclusiveness and excellence on and off the field of play.

To learn more, visit https://www.rugbyontario.com/


WANT MORE INFORMATION?

Sean Medeiros

High Performance Coordinator and Academy Director - Rugby Ontario

 smedeiros@rugbyontario.com


Brock Smith

Communications Manager - Toronto Arrows 

bsmith@torontoarrows.com



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