The Toronto Arrows traded their first-round pick (#2) of the 2023 Major League Rugby Draft to the Houston SaberCats in exchange for Robbie Povey’s playing service rights. The 26-year-old flyhalf/fullback is 6’0″ and 195 lbs.
In 2023 Canadian international flyhalf played 247 minutes in 8 matches, starting 3, and scored 32 points (1 try, 1 penalty goal, and 12 conversions) for the Houston SaberCats. He then played for Canada against Tonga, earning his 14th international test cap. That could increase if he is selected for the second match against Tonga after the weekend.
In 2022 he played 757 minutes in 13 matches, starting 8, and scored 16 points (1 try, 1 penalty goal, and 4 conversions. for the SaberCats and In 2021 he played 757 minutes in 12 matches, starting 9, and scored 5 tries.
He played 242 minutes in 4 matches, starting 3, and kicked 5 conversions for the Utah Warriors in 2020 and was later traded to the SaberCats for Houston’s first and second-round Collegiate draft selection spots.
Robbie was born in Bedford, England, and was Canada-eligible through his mother, a native of Montreal. He attended Spratton Hall and the Rugby School, where he graduated in 2015. He then went to the University of Oxford.
Robbie played rugby at the Spratton Hall, the Rugby School, the University of Oxford, and the Northampton Saints Academy. In 2017 he played for Bedford Athletic, as well as representative rugby for the Prairie Wolf Pack. He has represented the Wolf Pack since then in the Canadian Rugby Championship.
In 2018 he played for Coventry in the Greene King IPA Championship, with the Castaway Wanderers, in 2019 for Sale FC, in 2020 with the Utah Warriors, and from 2021 through 2023 with the Houston SaberCats.
Canada National Team
Robbie represented the Canada Under-20s in 2016. He made his senior team debut for Canada against Chile at Langford on February 11, 2017, in the Americas Rugby Championship. The last of his 14 caps (5 starts) was against Tonga on August 5, 2022.
Toronto Arrows Comments
“We’re very excited to bring in Robbie, who has been a top player and respected teammate in our league for several years now,” said Tim Matthews, Toronto Arrows Vice President and General Manager. “We’ve used a portion of our draft capital and have turned it into a Canadian international and MLR starter.”
“Robbie is a talented Canadian who comes into our fold and with his solid body of work, he stands to be a difference-maker right off the hop. His acquisition is representative of our strategy to build a strong core that is competitive, motivated, and Canadian.”
The England-born Canadian international, who is eligible to play for Canada through his Montreal-born mother, has collected 14 caps and kicked 21 points since making his international debut against Chile in February 2017.
Povey previously donned the Maple Leaf with the national under-20 program in 2016.
Domestically, he’s featured for the Prairie Wolf Pack in the Canadian Rugby Championship, as well as with British Columbia club side Castaway Wanderers.
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