Mitch Richardson, the dependable centre/wing player for the Toronto Arrows from Stoney Creek, Ontario, is in his fifth season with the Arrows club. The six-foot-two, 215-pound centre/wing player has been with the Arrows for a very long time and has been a major contributor to the club once again this year.
Mitch Richardson: Toronto Arrows’ dependable centre/wing player
Childhood and early beginnings
Mitch Richardson has a long history with rugby union. His grassroots club was the Stoney Creek Camels and the Burlington Centaurs and he was also a graduate of the Ontario Blues senior men’s provincial program. As mentioned in the Hamilton Spectator article in 2014, Richardson had a choice of rugby or hockey, he chose rugby. This was despite the injuries he encountered with rugby union as mentioned in the Hamilton Spectator article:
Richardson also had a good understanding of the game at an early age, talking about the position he plays, which at that time was fly-half, and also the fullback: “We’re probably the guys who are the fastest and who can break the tackles,” said Richardson, describing his position. “Our forwards are the more ground-and-pound players.”
Time with Rugby Canada
He also showed pride in wearing the Rugby Canada article even at an early age as mentioned in the same article as he talks about wearing the Canadian Maple Leafs for the Rugby Canada U-18s:
“As soon as I got out there and I got to wear the Canadian jersey for the first time, it was probably the best feeling I’ve ever had in the world,” he said. “Just getting to represent your country at a young age, getting to sing your national anthem, it was quite an experience and it gave me goosebumps before the game.”
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He was also able to represent Rugby Canada on the senior level. This is what Richardson said about representing the red and white back in 2017: “This is my first time getting the call to put on the jersey for the senior team, so I’m very excited and honoured.”
Success with the Toronto Arrows
As mentioned by the Toronto Arrows website, Richardson’s success with the Arrows went to another level last year with Canada’s team:
These stats show that Richardson can do many things for the club. Richardson also has a long history of playing with the Arrows. He has also made some big tries over the years for the team. Going back in 2021, he played a big role in the Arrows getting a bonus point against Rugby United New York. In 2022, Richardson scored the first try for the Arrows in 2022 in a 22-18 loss to the Seattle Seawolves. He also scored a try against the New Orleans Gold in a 53-36 win at York Lions Stadium.
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Huge score from Mitch Richardson for the first try of the season for the @TorontoArrows!
📺 @therugbynetwork | #ATLvTOR | #MLR2023 pic.twitter.com/VXWMRQGIHZ
— Major League Rugby (@usmlr) February 18, 2023
He again scored the first try in 2023 against Fire and Ice Cup rivals, Rugby ATL on February 17. This was also a key try, as Richardson played a role in the Arrows scoring 10 points in the last five-six minutes of the game to earn the bonus point in a 17-10 loss to Atlanta. Richardson also played a big role in earning the draw against Rugby ATL at York Lions Stadium, helping them earn the draw. He scored two tries and played a big role in Kobe Faust getting a try against Atlanta and was the player of the game.
Richardson also played in the first Arrows home game since 2019, when he scored a try for the Arrows XV against the Atlantic Selects.
Mitch Richardson: What he means to the Toronto Arrows
Richardson is a valuable player and a loyal one for the Arrows. Only 27 years old, Richardson is entering the peak years of his career. Expect him to get better in the coming years and play a major role with the Arrows organization.
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What an offload by Joaquín Tuculet that allowed Mitch Richardson to score the try for #ArrowsUp!#TORvNY | 24-31 | #MLR2021pic.twitter.com/q8OWyytsdc
— Raheem (@bashirra) June 26, 2021
Arrows fans can watch Richardson and other Arrows players on June 11 and June 17. The game on June 11 will be against the Western Conference-leading San Diego Legion at 4:00 p.m. ET, which will be shown on CW (KFMB) and The Rugby Network. Also, the game on June 17 against the NOLA Gold will be shown on YURVIEW and The Rugby Network at 7:00 p.m. ET. The game on June 11 will be televised nationally on TSN3, while the game on June 17 will be shown on TSN+.
Photo Credit: Marc Eymé of the Toronto Arrows.
