Rugby ATL re-signed Connor Cook for the remainder 2023 Major League Rugby season. Following the end of the 2022 season, Connor retired from rugby. The 32-year-old back-row is 6’3″and 220 lbs.
Connor played 876 minutes in 12 starts and scored 4 tries for Rugby ATL in 2022. He played 829 minutes in 13 matches, starting 12, for the Ratlers in 2021. During the truncated 2020 MLR season, Connor played 157 minutes in all five matches for the Colorado Raptors, starting twice.
During the 2019 MLR season, he played 582 minutes for the Glendale Raptors in 13 matches, starting 5 times, had 47 carries for 344 meters, made 104 tackles, and had 21 lineout takes. He also had 4 linebreaks, and 2 tackle breaks, and made 6 offloads.
In 2018 he played 390 minutes in 7 matches, starting 5 times, and scored 2 tries.
Connor is from Frisco, Colorado and played hockey, and enjoys skiing. His family later moved to Hawaii and he played football at Honoka High School. He also played rugby for Waimea Rugby Club.
After graduating from high school, he went to Redlands University in California and played football. He was then contacted by Arkansas State University and he transferred there to play rugby.
While at ASU, the team won the USA Rugby National 7s Championship in 2012 and 2013. They also advanced to the USA Rugby D1A National Championship, losing to BYU in 2012. Connor also was recognized as a Collegiate All-American in 2014. He graduated in 2016 with a Bachelor of Science Degree in Exercise Science.
Connor returned to Colorado and is employed as a strength and conditioning specialist in Centennial, Colorado since 2016. He has played with the Glendale Raptors since 2016 and was signed for the inaugural Major League Rugby season in 2018. His physical play in the back row continued to be an asset for the team.
Other Articles
DJCoil Rugby articles by Doug Coil are also available on Facebook. Other Social Media sites to follow or subscribe to include Twitter, Instagram, and YouTube for interviews.
