The Toronto Arrows re-signed Mitch Richardson for the 2024 Major League Rugby season. The 27-year-old center (28 in June) is 6’2″ and 215 lbs.
Mitch played 905 minutes in 12 starts and scored 4 tries for the Toronto Arrows in 2023. In Summer 2023 he earned his first international test cap for Canada against Tonga.
For the Arrows in 2022, set career highs in matches played (12), matches started (10), carry meters (563), completed tackles (54), tackle breaks (10), offloads (eight), and linebreaks (four). He joined Melrose Rugby along with his teammate James O’Neill in the Fall of 2022.
He played 397 minutes in 8 matches, starting 5, and scored 2 tries for the Arrows in 2021. He also played with the Arrows XV against the Atlantic Selects at York Lions Stadium on October 16 in a 57-10 win, in which he scored a try. It was the first time in 867 days since 2019 that the Arrows played a home match.
He played 78 minutes in 4 matches, making 6 carries for 50 meters, during the pandemic-shortened 2020 MLR season. In 2019 he played 99 minutes in 2 matches, starting once.
Mitch is from Stoney Creek, Ontario, and played hockey and rugby at Saltfleet High School. He won OFSAA gold, silver, and bronze medals in hockey.
Mitch played both representative soccer and hockey. He was offered a contract with the Junior B Ancaster Avalanche in hockey, but after a successful tryout for the Canada Under-20s, he turned to rugby.
He played for and was the captain of the Ontario Junior Blues in both 15s and 7s and played in the Canadian National Championships in 2014. He then played for the Ontario Blues in the Canadian Rugby Championship in 2015. In 2016 he played with the Canada Under-20s.
Mitch also attended McMaster University, majoring in Political Science and playing rugby for the Marauders. He was a three-time OUA All-Star, helped the team win a bronze medal at the Canadian University Men’s Rugby Championship in 2017, and was selected to the Canadian Universities All-Stars.
In 2017 Mitch also played with the Ontario Arrows, playing under the Ontario Blues name, against the Glendale Raptors. He continued with the Arrows during the 2018 exhibition season and did so again in 2019.
Mitch also played for the James Bay Athletic Association against the Houston SaberCats in 2018. He played club rugby for the Stoney Creek Camels and Burlington Centaurs. In 2018 Mitch was selected to represent Canada A at the Americas Pacific Challenge and came through Rugby Canada’s Pacific Pride National Development Academy Program.
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