Shanagher is the son of Irish rugby player Denis Shanagher Sr, who captained
Bective Rangers to a Leinster Cup title prior to emigrating to the United States, where he became an influential referee and rugby administrator. A center, Shanagher captained
Stanford University in varsity rugby, then played club rugby for San Francisco and Bay Area Touring Side (BATS). He gained nine caps for the
United States during the 1980s and was flown to Australia in 1987 as an injury replacement for
Mike Caulder at the Rugby World Cup. Shanagher, an attorney by profession, was appointed to the
USA Rugby Board of Directors in 2020. ==See also==