Local Talent Staying Home, Seattle Land Clark in Free Agency

TUKWILA, WASHINGTON (February 21, 2021) – The Seattle Seawolves have signed Washington Athletic Club 7s and formerly Dallas-bound Tommy Clark for the 2021 Major League Rugby (MLR) season.

The former Collegiate All-American out of American International College (AIC) was drafted to the Dallas Jackals in round one the inaugural MLR College Draft in April 2020. But with Dallas withdrawing from the 2021 season, Clark was one of many players who entered free agency just months before regular season was set to begin. A player that head coach Kees Lensing and assistant coach Mat Turner had their eyes on heading into the draft, they didn’t hesitate when the chance to keep the Washington native home arrived.

Clark grew up a multisport athlete in Olympia, Washington where his rugby roots began with Budd Bay Rugby Club. Winning two state titles during his high school years, Clark was recruited to play for American International
College (AIC) in Springfield, Massachusetts. Clark racked up a handful of collegiate accolades starting his freshman year. As AIC Freshman of the Year, Clark thrived as a Yellow Jacket and earned 1st Team All-Conference honors all four years. He entered the USA Rugby pathway in 2017 where he was selected to the All-Americans U20s to face Canada. Selected as a captain his junior and senior seasons, Clark continued to excel in both sevens and fifteens and progressed to the Collegiate All-Americans representation in 2018 and 2019. Clark spent the summer of 2019 not only with the All-Americans, but with the Washington Athletic Club (WAC) sevens program. Alongside fellow Seattle Seawolves names Dion Crowder, Eric Duechle, Peter Tiberio, Mat Turner and Shalom Suniula (as coach), Clark and the WAC men were crowned USA Rugby Club 7s Champions after a convincing win over Life West, 24-7.

“I am thrilled to be a part of the Seattle Rugby culture again,” said Clark. “From my experience, the passion this city has for the sport when it comes to rugby is unmatched in the United States. I’m looking forward to working towards another championship for my home state.”

Clark’s All-American and Club 7s Championship experiences serve as solid steppingstones towards this next step in his career. The Seawolves gain another forward with physicality on both sides of the ball, strong work rate, and support lines in Clark. Check out his highlights from collegiate and club play here.

The 2021 MLR season is set to kick off March 20, 2021 with the Seawolves on the road to face the Houston SaberCats. TV and broadcast information will be announced soon via our official social media channels. Follow us on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter to stay up to date with all things Seattle Seawolves as we head into the season.