Todd Clever Becomes GM for RugbyTens San Clemente Franchise
Todd Clever Becomes GM for RugbyTens San Clemente Franchise
Rugby Tens has announced that Todd Clever will be the General Manager for the San Clemente Rhinos, the North American global franchise competing in the Rugby Tens Championship, Series and Invitational events.
Clever, who captained the USA national team more times than any other player, and who still holds the record for most caps as an Eagle, will handle several responsibilities as GM. A dedicated advocate for the sport, Clever has been involved with the Rhinos, Rugby Tens and its accompanying High Performance program, offering scholarships for players to the R10C HP program through the Todd Clever Foundation.
"Having worked alongside Rhinos for several years, I've witnessed firsthand the incredible opportunities they provide for both boys and girls. Their mission aligns perfectly with my values and those of my foundation, making this an easy decision," Clever said.
Clever will boost his positive impact within the rugby community with the resources at San Clemente Rhinos, which, among other priorities, will be able to support Clever's legacy projects like the performance and development at Loyola Marymount University and youth rugby development. This aligns very well with his role at San Clemente Rhinos and Rugby Tens, organizations that have grown the rugby community and pathways for the last eight years.
"I am committed to helping build rugby in America and pave the way for our current and future national teams players and coaches —7s, 10s, and XVs," added the former Eagle captain and the first ever USA player to play Super Rugby. "I see this possible through uplifting and uniting the rugby community through clear pathways, thus promoting the sport's exceptional values. There are many groups and organizations in the rugby landscape, and I believe we are poised to create one that truly makes the biggest impact."
"We are super excited to have Todd, 'Captain America' in so many ways, lead the San Clemente Rhinos into its next phase," added Andreea Trufaso, who is CEO of Rugby Tens and San Clemente Rhinos. "His values, experience on and off the field, his unwavering commitment for rugby, from the youth levels and up, and his excellent understanding of the various entities in rugby are invaluable. When you put Todd and San Clemente Rhinos together, you get dynamite. And honestly, that's what it takes to wake up the sleeping giant, some dynamite."
The Rhinos are one of the four global franchises within the Rugby Tens competition. The Rugby Tens Series kicks off this week on October 4 in San Juan Capistrano, California, with the four global franchises plus the US-based regional franchise, San Diego Legion, playing in four weekends of action.
Joining the San Clemente Rhinos as global franchises are Balkans Honey Badgers out of Europe, Cape Town Wild Dogs out of Southern Africa, and the Serengeti Elephants, out of Eastern Africa. Clever will be in charge of supporting the elite Rhinos coaching team to identify, develop and mentor talent, as well as continue to develop the franchise as a global powerhouse of building "good players that are good people." Since each franchise fields teams for Men, Women, U18 Boys, and U18 Girls, this is a big job. The teams will continue to develop and grow through the Rugby Tens Series, and that will set them up for the Championship. The Series will be held October 4, 12, 18, with finals on October 26 in San Juan Capistrano, Calif., at the Oaks International Grand Prix Venue (Riding Park).
The Championship, the pinnacle event in the Rugby Tens events, will be held in the USA for the first time ever and will feature players from over 25 countries competing for the Franchise Champions Trophy in the six divisions (Men, Women, U18 Boys, U18 Girls and Mixed-Play x 2) in San Juan Capistrano, Calif. on November 23, 27, 30.
Being the host franchise, the San Clemente Rhinos has a big task ahead of them to bring top American talent to high-level international Rugby Tens.
For more about the Rugby Tens Series and Championship, go to: RugbyTens.com.
