The Toronto Arrows signed their third-round selection (#35) in the 2021 MLR Collegiate Draft for 2022. The 23-year-old-hooker, who has played loosehead prop, is 5’11”, and 235 lbs.
Sam was born in Blackpool, England, but emigrated with his family to Canada in 2010 and calls Odessa, Ontario his hometown. Sam grew up playing rugby, soccer and was involved with judo since he was five. To cut down on traveling he chose to play rugby in Bedford.
The Mace family has been in Cyprus, Northern Ireland, and Germany along with a couple of different cities in England as the result of his father’s being in the army when he was young.
After he arrived in Canada, he attended Loyalist School playing rugby with the Kingston Panthers U18s team and later attended LaSalle Secondary School in Kingston, where he was introduced to football at age 16 where he was a running back. The team won two KASSA city championships and one Eastern Ontario Secondary School Athletics Championship, and one National Capital Bowl. He also was named KASSA city finals MVP.
Sam also played rugby at LaSalle in the spring, where he helped win OFSAA silver in rugby. He made the Ontario Federation School finals twice throwing the discus.
Sam has also been involved nationally in judo in both England and in Canada.
After graduation he attended the University of Ottawa, majoring in Human Genetics and played football, then rugby for the Gee-Gees.
Sam, who is eligible to play for Canada by residency, played with the Arrows XV in the 57-10 victory over the Atlantic Selects, the first time in 867 days that the Arrows played at home.
Sam has played senior club rugby with Ottawa’s Bytown Blue.
Something else that is interesting about Sam is that he has a pilot’s license.
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