Stratford native and Northwestern Secondary School alum Neil Trainor was selected second overall by Anthem RC in the Major League Rugby entry draft, held August 28 in Dallas, Texas.
Trainor, also an alumnus of the Stratford Blackswans, Toronto Arrows Academy, and a graduate of Queen’s University, was selected behind Erich Storti from Saint Mary's College of California – with both former Gaels going to the Anthem.
“From July 8-14, I was in Virginia for a combine/training camp for Major League Rugby where we did some fitness testing and training for a game,” Trainor said. “We played in front of the scouts for all the teams and I got to meet a number of them there. A few of them continued contact with me from that point, leading up to the draft.”
Trainor said he was surprised by the attention he got from the American-based teams but was happy to see how receptive they were to him and other Canadians that were part of the draft process.
“I think they’re starting to realize the depth of talent that exists within the Canadian rugby space – I personally feel that at the university level here in Canada, while we may not have as many exceptional athletes as they do in the U.S., we play a style of rugby and execute on a skill level that is probably more suited for the professional level than a lot of teams in the U.S. do,” he said.
Having played at Queen’s, Trainor said the idea of playing pro ball was something that only became a possibility in his mind the future along he got in his Golden Gaels career. It began as a means to a great education and a chance to play rugby while he developed a well-balanced lifestyle.
But when change presented itself, Trainor was ready. It’s a road that he didn’t envision when he began playing as an eighth grader, but that changed the more he went along.
“In 2020, I joined the Toronto Arrows senior academy, so I was able to play with them over the summer and that gave me the feeling that if a pro team was interested in me as a development player, there might be others that were interested,” he said. “I was in eighth grade when I went up to train with the junior boy’s team at Northwestern, so when I finally got to high school I started playing right away. I captained the junior team in Grade 10, then the senior team in Grade 12. I just kept wanting to get better with every step.”
Steps this coming season will be tough, as Anthem finished in last place at 0-16 with a -353 point differential. Trainor, drafted at the hooker position, said he’s looking forward to developing his skills more but believes his set piece talents will help the team next season.
“As a front rower, set pieces are the most important skill set for us,” he said. “I’m looking forward to continuing my development in that area because the MLR is a very set piece-oriented game. If you can’t get your scrum right, or your lineout right, you don’t really have a platform to attack from to create opportunities to score.”
Former Arrows Academy director and current Guelph Gryphons men’s rugby coach Cory Hector remembers Trainor joining the Academy team in 2023 and featured in several matches on the team’s Coast-To-Coast Cup victory in Halifax.
“Neil is an exceptionally hard worker on and off the field – he spent a lot of time ensuring he knew his roles and responsibilities and executed on them,” Hector said. “On field he would lead by example through his work rate, bringing energy to the team whether it be through ball carrying or a big tackle or nailing his lineout throws. He continued to always be his very best – seeking feedback from the coaches through video analysis as well.”
There’s a long road ahead in his rugby future, and Trainor is looking forward to all of it.
“For me, getting the opportunity to get paid playing the sport I love is amazing,” he said. “To invest even more of myself, my time and effort into rugby is a great thing. I don’t need to worry about making money and trying to play – this will let me focus on being a better player and becoming the best player I can be.”
