EORU Player Spotlight: Patrick Lynott

PHOTO CREDIT: Jeff Chan

Recently, EORU Communications caught up with Patrick Lynott, a player for Ontario’s first professional team, the Toronto Arrows, in Major League Rugby – North America’s only professional rugby union competition. We asked him a few questions on his experience in the Arrows’ inaugural season.

Age: 23

First Year in Rugby: 2005

Rugby Club/Team Affiliations: Philemon Wright High School (High School), Bytown Blues, Kingston Panthers, Queen’s University, Ontario Blues

Preferred/Current Position: Loose head prop

How did you get into rugby?
I got into rugby through the community I grew up, just north of Ottawa in Chelsea, Quebec. Marc Wolvin started a club with a bunch of kids my age and began teaching us how to play the game. We played in the spring and fall right up until high school. It was that club that really sparked my interest in the sport. 

Overall, how was your inaugural season with the Toronto Arrows?
The inaugural season with the Arrows was pretty incredible! It was a big commitment as I was finishing up my undergrad at Queen’s and commuting to Toronto for practices and games for the first half of the season. However, once school was finished, I was able to live in Toronto and be part of the full-time training environment which was honestly a dream come true and really helped with my development as a player. On top of that, it was incredible that we were able to put together such a great run at home towards the end of the season and get into the playoffs.  

What does a typical week with the Toronto Arrows look like?
A typical week in the full time training environment with the Arrows consisted of 

What is your most enjoyable memory from this past season with the Arrows?
My most enjoyable memory from the season  would have to be beating both New York and San Diego within the last minutes of the game in front of a great crowd at Lamport Stadium in Toronto. It was a great place to play and the crowds were always super supportive.