The American Raptors added Franco Palillo for the 2023 Super Rugby Americas season. The 27-year-old hooker is 5’11” and 231 lbs. Franco is from Rosario, Argentina. He played both school and club rugby for Gimnasia y Esgrima Rosario and was in the Nacional de Clubes competition. 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.

The American Raptors added  Colombia international Aldair Marquez for the 2023 Super Rugby Americas season. The 28-year-old tighthead prop is 6’1″ and 255 lbs. Aldair is from Barranquilla, Colombia, and studied at the Instituto Tecnico Industrial Blas Torres de la Torre and Universidad Autónoma del Caribe. He played club rugby for Kamash Rugby. Club and professionally for Cafeteros Pro in the Super Liga Americano. He also played for the Colombia National Team, most recently in the 2022 Tri-Nations against Brazil and Paraguay. While the addition of Aldair to the American Raptors is certainly welcome, it appears that the American Raptors…

The American Raptors added Jhon Arley Urrutia Robledo for the 2023 Super Rugby Americas season. The 29-year-old wing/fullback is 5’6″ and 165 lbs. Jhon is from Apartidó, a city in the northeast of Colombia, and lives in Medillín. He attended Politécnico Colobiano Jaime Isaza Cadavid from 2016 through 2019. He played club rugby for Fénix and was a gold medal winner for the Colombian National Team at the Central American and Caribbean Games in 2018 and the 2019 Americas Rugby Challenge. He played National Team Sevens, as well as, professionally for Cafeteros Pro in 2020-2021. He also played for Colombia…

The American Raptors signed Chris Schade for the 2023 Super Rugby Americas season. The 32-year-old loosehead prop/hooker (33 in May) is 5’10”, and 240 lbs. Chris will travel with the team to South America and when he returns could continue to play with the Raptors or be available as an emergency loosehead prop for NOLA Gold Rugby where he is signed as an APC. Chris spent the last two weeks at Chula Vista Elite Training Center with the Legion ahead of their scrimmage against Austin Gilgronis on Jan 21, 2022. He provided injury cover for both the 2022 and 2021…

The American Raptors signed Lucas González Amorosino for the 2023 Super Rugby Americas season. The 37-year-old Argentina international fullback/wing is 6’1” and 195 lbs. Lucas is from Buenos Aires, Argentina, and played rugby with Pucará. He played for Los Pumas Sevens and made his Pumas XVs debut in 2009 before joining Leicester Tigers in 2009 for two seasons. He then played professionally for Montpellier, Oyonnax in France, Cardiff in Wales, and Munster in Ireland before joining the Jaguares Super Rugby team in 2016. His Senior National XVs career was from 2009 through 2016. He had 52 test appearances and scored…

The American Raptors signed Tommy Hunkin-Clark for the 2023 Super Rugby Americas season. The 25-year-old flanker/No.8 (26 in May) is 6’4″ and 235 lbs. Tommy was selected by the Chicago Hounds during the 2022 MLR expansion draft, but was unsigned and appeared to return with the Seawolves, with the team listing him on their 2023 roster. Since then that has changed and is in the American Raptors preseason camp. Tommy played 543 minutes in 12 matches, starting 1, for the Seawolves in 2022. Tommy was a free agent signing for the Seawolves after the Dallas Jackals postponed their MLR debut…

The American Raptors signed Leon ‘Tre’ Smalls for the 2023 season. he joined the team in 2022 and is a member of the Super Rugby Americas preseason squad. The 24-year-old hooker (25 in April) is 6’2″ and 245 lbs. Tre is from Charleston, South Carolina, and attended Hanahan High School where he was ranked in the state shot put and was selected as a senior to represent South Carolina senior football players in the Shrine Bowl against North Carolina seniors. Tre attended North Carolina A&T State from 2016 through his graduation in 2020. Other Articles DJCoil Rugby articles by Doug…

The American Raptors signed Daquan Patton for 2023, and he hopes to be selected for the Super Rugby Americas squad.The 25-year-old flanker (26 in February) is 6’1″ and 230 lbs. Daquan is from Topeka, Kansas, and attended Vista Ridge High School, graduating in 2015. He played football for three years and was a District 25, 5A Defensive MVP, and a Second-Team All-State selection his senior year. Daqaun attended Trinity Valley Community College from 2015 through 2017 and was named to the Second Team National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA) as an All-American. He transferred to Kansas State University in 2017…

The American Raptors signed Isikeli Kava for 2023, and he hopes to be selected for the Super Rugby Americas squad. The 21-year-old flanker is 6’2″ and 295 lbs. Isikei is from Honolulu, Hawaii, and attended Liahona High School, where he played football and volleyball. He also has been involved with mixed martial arts. He resides in Kearns, Utah, and joined the American Raptors in 2021. 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.

The American Raptors signed Ethan Acton for 2023, and he hopes to be selected for the Super Rugby Americas squad. The 25-year-old center is 6’2″ and 218 lbs. Ethan is from Cody, Wyoming, and graduated from Cody High School. He played football at Dickinson State University and graduated with a Bachelor’s Degree in Exercise Science. Ethan played rugby for the St. Louis Bombers and helped them advance to the USA Division D2 Final in 2017. He joined the American Raptors in 2021. Other Articles DJCoil Rugby articles by Doug Coil are also available on Facebook. Other Social Media sites to…

The American Raptors signed Justin Barlow for 2023 and hopes to be selected for the Super Rugby Americas squad. The 28-year-old lock is 6’7″ and 250 lbs. Justin is from Los Angeles, California, and attended Redondo Union High School where he played football and basketball. He attended Grossmont College, and in 2017 achieved First Team All CIF honors. In 2019 he attended the University of Sioux Falls, majoring in Social Studies, and was a football tight end. He also attended College Texas A&M Commerce. Justin joined the American Raptors in 2021 and has been playing with them since. Other Articles…

The American Raptors signed Aki Pula for 2023, and  hopes to be selected for the Super Rugby Americas squad. The 19-year-old wing is 5’10” and 215 lbs. Aki is from Glendale, Arizona, and graduated from Cactus High School where he played football as a running back and linebacker. He also played volleyball. Aki joined the American Raptors in 2022. 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.

The American Raptors signed Nolan Saraceni for the 2023 season, and he hopes to be selected for the Super Rugby Americas squad. The 28-year-old wing/scrumhalf is 5’9″ and 208 lbs. Nolan is from Billings, Montana, and attended Billings Senior High School. He played football and continued in college at Montana Technical University where he was a running back. In 2015 and 2016 he was a first-team American Football Coaches Association NAIA All-American and set a school record for the longest touchdown, 99 yards. Before joining the American Raptors in 2021, he played a season with the Sioux Falls Storm in…