American Raptors Signs Shawn Clark

The American Raptors signed crossover athlete Shawn Clark for the 2023 Super Rugby Americas season. The 27-year-old lock is 6’9″ and 245 lbs.

Shawn played 202 minutes in 4 matches, starting twice, for the Dallas Jackals in 2022. He was also a member of the USA Sevens program. He played with the American Raptors in the Fall of 2022 season.

Shawn was a late-season addition for the LA Giltinis in 2021 but did not play in any regular-season MLR matches, but they did play for the Academy team. Shawn also played with the USA U23s at the Rugbytown 7s and was invited to the USA Olympic Sevens High-Performance Camp in September 2021. An injury impacted his play with the American Raptors again in the Fall.

Clark began his rugby career in January 2021 with the now-American Raptors, formerly Colorado XO’s, a rugby club made of crossover players to develop domestic elite talent. He played nine of ten matches during the Spring 2021 season.

Shawn is from Potsdam, New York. He attended Potsdam High School where he played wide receiver in football, basketball, and baseball at first and third bases, center field, and as an occasional pitcher. The latter earned him tryouts with the Pittsburgh Pirates and the Baltimore Orioles.

He attended Cushing Academy from 2014-2015, and was the team’s captain in football, playing quarterback and tight end. From 2015-2019 he attended Monmouth University, graduating with a degree in Communications. After being a redshirt his Freshman year, he played the following four years at tight end, and in 2019 was a First Team All-Big South selection and a First Team Eastern Collegiate Athletic Conference selection.

In August 2020 he had a tryout with the Indiana Colts and then signed with Colorado XO at the RugbyTown National Training Center.

Clark has two brothers and enjoys golfing, hunting, fishing, and spending time on the St. Lawrence River.