Todd Clever facts for kids
Clever at the 2010 Churchill Cup
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| Birth name | Todd Stanger Clever | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Date of birth | 16 January 1983 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Place of birth | Palm Springs, California, U.S. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Height | 6 ft 4 in (1.93 m) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Weight | 213 lb (97 kg) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| School | Santa Teresa High School University of Nevada, Reno |
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| Rugby union career | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Todd Stanger Clever (born January 16, 1983) is a former American rugby union player. He made history as the first American to play in Super Rugby, a major professional rugby competition. Todd also played for the U.S. national team, known as the Eagles. He was their captain for many years and holds the record for playing the most games for the U.S. rugby team.
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Early Life and Education
Todd Clever was born on January 16, 1983, in Palm Springs, California. He grew up in San Jose, California, and went to Santa Teresa High School. Later, he attended the University of Nevada, Reno. There, he played for the university's club rugby team. He was recognized as a top college player, earning the "collegiate All-American" title three times between 2002 and 2004.
Todd Clever's Club Rugby Career
Todd Clever played for several professional rugby clubs around the world.
Playing in New Zealand
Clever started his professional rugby journey in New Zealand in 2006. He joined a team called North Harbour in a competition known as the National Provincial Championship.
Super Rugby Experience
In 2009, Todd played for the South African team, the Lions, in the Super 14 competition. This was a big deal because he was the first American player ever to play in the Super 14. He also scored the first "try" (like a touchdown in rugby) for an American player in Super 14 history.
Playing in Japan's Top League
In June 2010, Clever moved to Japan to play for Suntory. In March 2012, his team, Suntory, won the Japan Top League championship. After that, he played for another Top League team, NTT Communications Shining Arcs. He left Japan in 2015 to return to his former club, OMBAC, in the U.S.
Time in English Rugby
On September 17, 2015, Clever joined the Newcastle Falcons, a top professional club in England's Aviva Premiership. He played one season for them, appearing in 6 games.
Major League Rugby Role
In 2016, Todd Clever became both a co-owner and a player for Austin Elite Rugby. This was a new professional club and one of the first teams in Major League Rugby, which started in 2018.
Winning Titles in the U.S.
In 2017, Clever helped Old Mission Beach Athletic Club RFC win a championship in the Pacific Rugby Premiership. He also played for the Austin Huns Rugby Football Club in May and June 2017. He helped the Austin Huns win their first D1 Club National Championship on June 3, 2017.
Todd Clever's International Rugby Career
Todd Clever also had a long and successful career playing for the United States national rugby teams.
Youth National Teams
Clever first joined the U.S. national teams in July 2000. He played for the Under-19 national team during their tour in Australia. He continued to play for the U19 team until 2002.
Playing for the USA Eagles
Clever made his first appearance for the senior U.S. national team, the Eagles, in August 2003. He was only 20 years old at the time. He played for the U.S. during the 2007 Rugby World Cup. In one famous moment, he intercepted a pass against South Africa, which led to Takudzwa Ngwenya scoring a try that was called one of the best of the 2007 World Cup.
Todd Clever was named the 2008 USA Rugby Men's Player of the Year. He also played in the 2009 Churchill Cup, where the Eagles won the Bowl by beating Georgia. Clever helped the Eagles qualify for the 2011 Rugby World Cup by winning a series against Uruguay. He was the captain of the team during the 2011 Rugby World Cup and started in three matches.
For many years, Clever was the captain and a well-known face of the U.S. national team. In July 2015, he was temporarily removed from the Eagles team due to missing some team activities. He later explained his side of the story, saying there was a misunderstanding about his schedule. This incident motivated him to keep playing professional rugby.
After the 2015 Rugby World Cup, a new coach, John Mitchell, took over the Eagles. He brought Clever back to the team and made him captain again. On June 25, 2016, Clever became the most "capped" (meaning he played the most games) player in United States rugby history. This happened during a match against Russia.
On June 21, 2017, Clever announced he was retiring from international rugby. His last game was a 52–16 win over Canada, which helped the United States qualify for the 2019 Rugby World Cup.
USA Sevens Team
Clever also played for the U.S. national rugby sevens team. Rugby sevens is a faster version of rugby with fewer players. In 2009, he scored a memorable "try of the day" during a tournament in George, South Africa.
Personal Life
Todd Clever was featured in ESPN The Magazine's 2015 The Body Issue. He was the first rugby player to be included in this special edition of the magazine. On August 31, 2020, he announced his engagement to Maya Stojan on social media.
Awards and Honors
- U-19 National Team Member (2000–2002)
- 3-time College All-American (2002–2004)
- USA Eagles (7s)
- USA Eagles (XVs)
- Captain USA Eagles (XVs)
- First American to play in the Super 14
- First American to score a try in the Super 14
- 2006 ARN Player of the Year
- 2008 USA Rugby Men's Player of the Year
- 2009 RUGBYMag.com Player of the Year
- 2009 RUGBYMag.com Overseas Performer of the Year
- North American Rugby Player of the Decade 2000–2009
- RuggaMatrix USA Player of the Decade 2000–2009
Images for kids
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Todd Clever playing in the 2010 Churchill Cup.
See also
In Spanish: Todd Clever para niños
- United States national rugby union team
- United States national rugby sevens team
