Four Peterborough Pagans have caught the eye of Canada's only pro rugby union football club.

Peterborough natives Steve Commerford, Brandan Ferguson and Pagans teammates Darby Bradley and Emerson Prior have been selected to the Toronto Arrows Academy. It's a development team of players aged 18 to 24 for the Major League Rugby squad.

They're among 15 players on the Arrows East Academy's first full season. They hold practices twice a week, each Friday and Saturday, at Queen's University in Kingston from Jan. 24 to May. They'll play a series of games between April and June against Canada's U20 team and other MLR academy sides.

"It's a program designed to develop the next wave of professional players for the Toronto Arrows," Ferguson said.

Last year the Arrows selected a development team that travelled to New Rochelle, N.Y. to play a team of NCAA all-stars. Ferguson and Prior were selected for that game which was preceded by a week of practice.

"It's one step closer to my dream of being a professional rugby player," said Ferguson, 22, a centre, who works in carpentry

Prior, 21, who joined the Pagans while attending Trent University, a loose head prop, played for Canada's U20 team.

"It's a good honour to be selected by the Arrows," Prior said. "It's great to have these extra training sessions to bridge that gap between the OUA level and club level and MLR level."

It was only a few years ago the only opportunities to play pro rugby existed overseas.

"Now kids look up to the guys on the Toronto Arrows as opposed to looking up to an unachievable goal like the best players in England," Prior said. "Now they're looking at guys in their hometown or nearby who are playing for the Arrows now and think, 'I want to be like him.'"

Bradley, 23, a Bowmanville native, is finishing up teacher's college at Trent and has been hired for the supply list of both local school boards. He played U Sports football for four years at the University of Windsor before switching to rugby when he joined the Pagans.

"The dream of going to the CFL didn't work out so I switched over," said Bradley, who plays eight man.

"I had the option of playing for the Oshawa Vikings but I figured since I was going to be coming to Trent I should play with some of the Peterborough guys. I love it. The culture in Peterborough is second to none, in my opinion. The guys are awesome. I don't regret that decision."

He says the academy selection renewed his hopes of playing pro sports.

"My dream switched a couple of years ago from the idea of playing in the CFL to maybe going overseas to pursue rugby. I enjoy the sport and missed it when I played football. The idea of playing professional was a bit of a pipe dream. The idea of playing overseas and teaching there and having some fun. Now this opportunity has kind of grounded me here and is definitely something I want to pursue."

Commerford is an Adam Scott grad currently playing for the Brock Badgers. He is a former Canada U20 player.

mike.davies

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