TORONTO-The Toronto Arrows have sold Canadian international centre Ben Lesage, a Major League first-team rugby star, to the Los Angeles Giltinis this Season.
The Arrows acquired the rights to Canadian Flanker James O’Neill, salary cap considerations and a third-round selection in the MLR Collegiate Draft from Los Angeles in exchange for LeSage’s rights.
In a separate transaction signed the arrows New Zealand center UETA Tufuga.
LeSage immediately signed a two-year contract with the Giltinis.
“I’m really grateful for Toronto and the Arrows giving me my first professional contract. Now I’m ready for a new adventure and I’m learning from some of the best who have ever played the game,” Lesage said in a statement. “When you played against the Giltinis last season, you quickly realized they were the real thing.
“Joining the reigning MLR champions is a great opportunity to improve as a rugby player in a very good team environment that has earned the respect of the league in the first year.”
The 25-year-old Lesage, who served as Canada’s vice-captain, spent two seasons with the Arrows and recorded five attempts in 18 games. He will join Canadians DTH van der Merwe and Corey Thomas in Los Angeles, where he will be a candidate to succeed Australian star Adam Ashley-Cooper, who has changed roles from assistant coach at the Giltinis
“We thank Ben for his two years spent in difficult circumstances and wish him all the best for the future,” Arrows general manager and chief operating officer Mark Winokur said in a statement, referring to Arrows’ move to suburban Atlanta last season due to the recent times. “As we approach, we can’t wait to see what James and Ueta can bring to our team.”
Born in Calgary, Lesage played for Canada at the Rugby World Cup in Japan and broke his hand four minutes into Canada’s opening game- a 48-7 loss to Italy in Fukuoka City. He striked an Italian whose knee landed on his hand when he went down.
LeSage, who after found out he had broken the third metacarpal in his right hand, finished the match.
The 215-pound, six-foot player has a degree in mechatronics – a subset of engineering that focuses on robotics – with a specialization in business from the University of British Columbia, where his international Rugby career began.
Tufuga, 23, arrives in Toronto from the New Zealand side of Wairarapa Bush. The 220ft player spent time as an u18 development athlete with the Super Rugby Hurricanes, was on the longlist for the All Blacks u20 squad and was part of the Southland Stags National Provincial Championship training squad in.
O’Neill was selected in the second round of the MLR Collegiate Draft (26th overall), the 23-year-old from Cochrane, Alta., Captained the University of Victoria to the Canadian University Championship title.
The 6-foot-230-pound backrower is a former captain of the Canadian under-20 team and the Pacific Pride National Development Academy, which he recently led to the Coastal Cup in British Columbia.
