Category: Uncategorized

Liam Casey joins the Toronto Saracens

We are pleased to announce the appointment of Liam Casey as an Ambassador, Advisor and Registered Playing Member. With his wealth of experience and profound passion for the sport, Casey is poised to make significant contributions across various facets of our club’s operations and development.

In this role, Liam will focus on developing rugby skills across all age groups within the club and actively recruiting new players. He’ll also engage with the community, including local schools, universities, and youth development clubs, contributing to coaching efforts, particularly with junior players. Moreover, Liam will build positive relationships with external stakeholders, such as City Rugby, TIRF, and local educational institutions, to enrich our club’s outreach and impact.

We anticipate several key outcomes from Liam’s appointment. He’ll participate in training sessions, represent the Saracens on the pitch, and provide valuable insights to the Board on rugby matters. Additionally, Liam will foster a culture of safety, acceptance, and social cohesion across all teams.

Please join us in welcoming Liam Casey to our rugby family, as we embark on an exciting journey together.

Ian Custadillo joins the Saracens as Director of Recruitment

We are thrilled to announce the appointment of Ian Custadillo as the Director of Recruitment for the Toronto Saracens Rugby Club. 

With a proven track record of building successful rugby programs, Custadillo brings a wealth of experience and passion to our team. His journey at Toronto Metropolitan University, where he co-founded the university’s first-ever rugby squad, demonstrates his dedication and commitment to the sport.

 

During orientation week, Custadillo connected with a fellow student over their shared love for rugby. This encounter sparked a passion to establish a rugby presence at TMU, leading him to approach the athletic director’s office with a bold proposal to start a rugby team. Undeterred by the initial challenges, Custadillo rallied support from coaches and players alike to bring their vision to fruition. Through perseverance and determination, they successfully recruited a diverse group of players from around the globe, highlighting Custadillo’s ability to foster inclusivity and unity within the team. His leadership extended beyond the field, as he prioritized building a strong team culture based on camaraderie and mutual respect. This dedication paid off with the team’s on-field success, including a historic win over a seasoned opponent, cementing their place in TMU’s rugby history.

Custadillo’s legacy at TMU is defined by his unwavering commitment to the sport and his ability to inspire others to pursue their passion for rugby. His experience in founding and nurturing a fledgling rugby program demonstrates his expertise in player recruitment, team building, and community engagement—all of which will be invaluable assets to the Toronto Saracens Rugby Club as he assumes his role as Director of Recruitment.

In his role, Custadillo will spearhead our recruitment efforts, identifying and recruiting top-tier rugby players to join the Toronto Saracens. He will work closely with our coaching staff to coordinate practices and games, ensuring optimal performance on the field. Additionally, Custadillo will play a pivotal role in establishing and nurturing relationships with universities across Toronto, as well as collaborating with the Toronto Inner-City Rugby Foundation (TIRF) to expand our network within the rugby community. We are confident that Custadillo’s leadership and vision will propel our club to new heights, and we look forward to the exciting journey ahead under his guidance.

Coach Sheldon Persad joins the Toronto Saracens

Sheldon Persad, BPE, MSc, CSCS, CPTN-CPT (with Merit), SWC, HPC, CSCP

Sheldon has been involved with rugby as a player, coach, administrator and avid fan for 40 years. He has coached at the high school level, at universities, at the club level, and was part of the coaching staff (as assistant coach) for the Toronto franchise (the Toronto Extreme) during the early days of the initial Canadian league. Sheldon is also a Toronto Saracens alumni player, and previous board member.

As a co-owner of Personal Best Health & Performance Inc (PB) Sheldon’s clientele has extended to four continents. Sheldon is an NCCP certified coach in several different sports and also a certified Stress and Wellness Consultant (Canadian Institute of Stress & Hans Selye Foundation). 2024 is Sheldon’s 38th year as a sport coach, and he is one of few Certified High Performance Sport Scientist Leaders in Canada.  As a Sport Scientist, his experience includes working with athletes who have competed at world championships, the Commonwealth Games, the Pan-American games, and the Olympics (summer and winter) from close to two dozen different national team programs.

He is a co-founder of the Certified Professional Trainers Network (CPTN), the inaugural President of the Canadian Strength and Conditioning Association (CSCA), an author, and award winning international conference presenter. He has twice hosted his own radio show segment, has taught high performance coaches at two different colleges and through the National Certification Program (NCCP). Additionally, over the past 24 years Sheldon has worked with the Canadian Sport Institute Ontario (formerly the Canadian Sport Centre) in the capacities of Lead S&C, Lead Sport Science, Manager Performance Services, Director Sport Science and Sport Medicine, Director Performance Services, is currently a Senior Advisor and a highly sought mentor for practitioners in our country.

Josiah Morra, Saracens Alumni on Team Canada 7s

Saracens Alumni, Josiah Morra, represents Canada on the National Men’s Sevens squad. In 2016, he made his international debut for Canada as an 18-year-old at the World Rugby Sevens Series in Cape Town. This past week, he joined the squad for the HSBC SVNS Perth in Western Australia. After a tough loss, the team is looking forward to playing on home soil at the end of February in Vancouver.

Annual General Meeting February 22

Please attend our Club’s Annual General Meeting to be held at 7:00pm on Thursday 22nd February 2024.  The distribution list includes all recent Members of our Club to give them the opportunity to renew their membership and attend and vote at our AGM.  

The details for the online Zoom meeting will be sent to Members in advance of the meeting.   

The provisional agenda for this meeting will be:

  1. Welcome and conduct of meeting
  2. Reports for 2023
    1. Financial report
    2. President’s report
  3. Fletcher’s Fields
    1. Our investments 
    2. Updates on our court application
    3. Our lease at Fletchers Fields
  4. Plans for 2023
    1. Our programs
    2. Leadership
    3. Recruitment
    4. Coaching
    5. Fiscal policies
    6. Winter training
  5. Election of Officers
  6. Close 


Please note that only members in good standing will be invited to attend and vote at our AGM.  If you have any questions about your financial standing, please contact any member of the Board of Directors.

Toronto Saracens Annual Brunch

What an unforgettable day at our annual brunch, as we gathered our alumni together! It was great to see so many join us, sharing old stories and catching up over a few pints.
It was a true honour to have Clay deliver a speech, reminding us of the values that make our club so special. At 100 years young, he still knows how to make a crowd laugh with his wit and memories shared.
Thank you to all those who attended and continue to support our club’s growth. This sense of community is what makes our club a family, and we can’t wait to celebrate it in a big way next year as we mark our 70th anniversary!

Toronto Saracens Brunch

As the autumn season is upon us, it’s time to gather for some good food, great company, and the camaraderie that makes our rugby club so special. We are excited to invite you to our upcoming brunch event, details as follows:

Date: Sunday, October 29th, 2023

Time: From 12:00 PM onwards, with lunch being served at 12:30 PM. Feel free to stay as long as you like.

Location: The Leaside Pub
190 Laird Dr,
Toronto, ON M4G 3W2

Cost: $20 per person, which includes an all-you-can-eat, tasty, and healthy brunch. This cost covers the food, including tax and tip. Please be sure to take care of your server for any additional drinks you order.

To ensure we have enough seats and food for everyone, we kindly request that you RSVP your attendance. You can do so by sending an email to Geoff Howes at Geoff_howes@hotmail.com. We want to ensure that no one goes hungry!

This brunch is a great opportunity for all of us to come together, share stories, and enjoy some fantastic food. We look forward to seeing you there and making this event a memorable one.

If you have any questions or require further information, please don’t hesitate to reach out. We’re looking forward to another wonderful gathering of our rugby club family.