Toronto Arrows announce death of co-founder Bill Webb

Bill Webb, president and co-founder of Toronto Arrows – Canada’s first and only professional rugby union team – has died.

The rugby union club says Webb, who was also a general partner, died after an illness which they say he faced with “courage and determination.”

The Arrows say the team would not exist without Webb’s determination and desire to see professional rugby in Canada grow.

“Bill was our trailblazer – the father of the Toronto Arrows. He was widely respected and admired for his passion, his vision, and his leadership,” the club said in a statement announcing his passing. “We are profoundly grateful to him for the opportunities he provided, the strength of character he showed, and for demonstrating that we should never be afraid to follow our dreams.”

Webb played professionally in England for Wasps RFC before a knee injury ended his playing career.

He also served as a director with the Rugby Canada board from 2016 to 2022 and the sporting body credited him with helping raise money for its training facility in Langford, B.C.

The organization also paid tribute to Webb, calling him a “dedicated member of the rugby community” and “a force in many initiatives during his tenure.”

“Bill’s contributions to Canadian rugby will leave a lasting impact on the game across the country and he will be greatly missed by all of Canada’s rugby community,” Rugby Canada said in its statement.

As for the future of the Arrows franchise, the club says it was Webb’s wish that the team continue to flourish and contribute to rugby in Canada, and the organization says it will work to honour that wish and continue Webb’s indelible legacy.