California Golden Bears rugby
Full name | California Golden Bears Rugby | |||
---|---|---|---|---|
Union | USA Rugby | |||
Nickname(s) | Golden Bears | |||
Founded | 1882 | |||
Location | Berkeley, California | |||
Ground(s) | Witter Field (Capacity: 5,000) | |||
Coach(es) | Jack Clark | |||
League(s) | PAC Rugby Conference | |||
|
||||
Official website | ||||
www |
The Golden Bears have won 27 total championships since the national collegiate championships for rugby began in 1980. Current head coach and Cal alumnus Jack Clark took over the team in 1984, and has achieved prolonged success, leading the Bears to 23 national titles, including twelve consecutive championships from 1991 to 2002 and five more consecutive titles from 2004 to 2008.
Cal also competes in the Collegiate Rugby Championship (CRC), the highest profile college rugby tournament in the US. The CRC is held every June at PPL Park in Philadelphia, and is broadcast live on NBC. Cal reached the finals of the 2010 CRC, losing to Utah in the finals in sudden death extra time, and finished third in the 2012 CRC.[1]
Cal also competes for the "World Cup," which is awarded to the winner of the annual series between Cal and the University of British Columbia.
Cal Rugby's home is at 5,000-seat Witter Rugby Field, located near California Memorial Stadium in Strawberry Canyon.
Contents
History of Cal rugby
Rugby union began play at Cal in 1882 and continued until 1886, when it was ditched in favor of American Football. Rugby would make a return in 1906 after football was deemed too dangerous to play. From 1906 to 1914, Cal rugby garnered a respectable 78-21-10 record. 1914, however, saw the return of football and Cal would not field a rugby team for almost 20 years.
Around the turn of the century American football was being frowned upon for its violence. During this period of uncertainty, rugby made a brief but important reappearance in many colleges, most notably at the University of California and at Stanford University. It was these two Universities, and Santa Clara University, that supplied most of the players to the two US Olympic rugby teams (1920 & 1924) who claimed fame by winning both Gold medals (as 1924 was the last time the Olympic Games staged a rugby competition, this will make the USA the defending Olympic Champions when rugby is re-introduced, after almost a century in 2016).
In 1931, rugby returned under alumnus Ed Graff. 1938 began the era of Miles "Doc" Hudson, who guided the Bears for 37 years and an incredible record of 339-84-23. His successor was Ned Anderson, an alumnus and former rugger for the Bears.
In September 2010, the university announced that rugby would be one of five varsity sports cut as a cost-cutting measure, though the team would have continued to represent the university as a "varsity club sport," which was to be defined by the university administration. A large group of rugby supporters organized and disputed the relegation.[2] On February 11, 2011, the administration reversed its decision on rugby and two other sports, meaning that rugby will continue as a varsity sport.[3]
Cal reached the final of the Varsity Cup in both 2013,[4] 2014[5] and 2015.
National championships
The following table is a list of each of the national championships since 1980 in which Cal has reached at least the semifinals.
YEAR | LOCATION | CHAMPION | SCORE | RUNNER-UP | 3rd PLACE | 4th PLACE |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1980 | Davenport, IA | California | 15-9 | Air Force Academy | Illinois | Navy |
1981 | Dayton, OH | California | 6-3 OT | Harvard University | Miami (OH) | Kansas St. |
1982 | Greeley, CO | California | 15-14 | Life College | Michigan | New Mexico St. |
1983 | Athens, GA | California | 13-3 | Air Force | Navy | Illinois |
1984 | Pebble Beach, CA | Harvard | 12-4 | Colorado | Long Beach St. | Miami (OH) |
1985 | Pebble Beach, CA | California | 31-6 | Maryland | Colorado | Illinois |
1986 | Pebble Beach, CA | California | 6-4 | Dartmouth | Air Force | Bowling Green |
1988 | Pebble Beach, CA | California | 9-3 | Dartmouth | Air Force | Bowling Green |
1991 | Houston, TX | California | 20-14 | Army | Ohio State | Wyoming |
1992 | Colorado Springs, CO | California | 27-17 | Army | Air Force | Penn State |
1993 | Houston, TX | California | 36-6 | Air Force | Harvard | Wisconsin |
1994 | Washington, DC | California | 27-13 | Navy | Air Force | Penn State |
1995 | Berkeley, CA | California | 48-16 | Air Force | Penn State | Army |
1996 | Colorado Springs, CO | California | 47-6 | Penn State | Stanford | Navy |
1997 | Berkeley, CA | California | 41-15 | Penn State | UC Davis | Stanford |
1998 | San Francisco, CA | California | 34-15 | Stanford | Navy | Indiana Univ. |
1999 | San Francisco, CA | California | 36-5 | Penn State | Navy | Army |
2000 | Tampa Bay, FL | California | 62-16 | Wyoming | Army | Indiana Univ. |
2001 | Virginia Beach, VA | California | 86-11 | Penn State | Navy | Army |
2002 | Virginia Beach, VA | California | 43-22 | Utah | Army | Wyoming |
2003 | Stanford, CA | Air Force | 45-37 | Harvard | California | Army |
2004 | Stanford, CA | California | 46-24 | Cal Poly, SLO | Navy / Air Force | |
2005 | Stanford, CA | California | 44-7 | Utah | BYU / Navy | |
2006 | Stanford, CA | California | 29-26 | BYU | Utah / Penn State | |
2007 | Stanford, CA | California | 37-7 | BYU | Navy / Penn State | |
2008 | Stanford, CA | California | 59-7 | BYU | St. Mary's / Colorado | |
2009 | Stanford, CA | BYU | 25-22 | California | Army / San Diego State | |
2010 | Stanford, CA | California | 19-7 | BYU | Arkansas State / Army | |
2011 | Sandy, UT | California | 21-14 | BYU | Utah / Arkansas State |
Varsity Cup
<templatestyles src="Module:Hatnote/styles.css"></templatestyles>
The following table is a list of each of the Varsity Cups in which Cal has reached at least the semifinals.
YEAR | LOCATION | CHAMPION | SCORE | RUNNER-UP | 3rd PLACE | 4th PLACE |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
2013 | Provo, UT | BYU | 27-24 | California | Central Washington / Navy | |
2014 | Salt Lake City, UT | BYU | 43-33 | California | Central Washington / Navy | |
2015 | Salt Lake City, UT | BYU | 30-27 | California | Central Washington / Navy | |
2016 | Provo, UT | California | 40-29 | BYU | Arkansas State / Central Washington |
USA Rugby Sevens Collegiate National Championships
<templatestyles src="Module:Hatnote/styles.css"></templatestyles>
YEAR | LOCATION | FINISH | RECORD |
---|---|---|---|
2011 | College Station, TX | DNP | -- |
2012 | College Station, TX | 10th | 4-2 |
2013 | College Station, TX | 1st | 5-0 |
Collegiate Rugby Championship (Sevens)
<templatestyles src="Module:Hatnote/styles.css"></templatestyles>
YEAR | LOCATION | FINISH | RECORD |
---|---|---|---|
2010 | Columbus, OH | 2nd | 5-1 |
2011 | Philadelphia, PA | 5th-tied | 3-1 |
2012 | Philadelphia, PA | 3rd | 5-1 |
2013 | Philadelphia, PA | 1st | 6-0 |
2014 | Philadelphia, PA | 1st | 6-0 |
2015 | Philadelphia, PA | 1st | 6-0 |
PAC Rugby 7s conference championships
YEAR | LOCATION | CHAMPION | SCORE | RUNNER-UP | 3rd PLACE | 4th PLACE |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
2012 | Los Angeles, CA | California | 21-12 | Utah | UCLA | Arizona State |
Players
The following is a partial list of Cal rugby players have played for the United States national rugby team, nicknamed Eagles, in a major international competition. Of the 30-man squad for the 2011 Rugby World Cup, 7 were Cal alums.
- Mike MacDonald - 2007 and 2011 Rugby World Cup; also the most-capped player in Eagles history
- Louis Stanfill - 2007 and 2011 Rugby World Cup
- Chris Biller - 2011 Rugby World Cup
- Eric Fry - 2011 Rugby World Cup
- Blaine Scully - 2011 Rugby World Cup
- Colin Hawley - 2011 Rugby World Cup
- Kort Schubert - 2003 Rugby World Cup
- Kevin Dalzell - 1999 and 2003 Rugby World Cup
- Kirk Khasigian - 1999 and 2003 Rugby World Cup
––– Players with significant international experience(caps) outside of World Cup appearances for the United States –––
- Andre Bachelet
- Ray Lehner
- Danny Barrett
- Chris O'Brien
- Shaun Paga
- Don James
- Seamus Kelly
- Gary Hein
- Steve Hyatt
- Rob Lumkong
See also
- College rugby
- College Premier Division
- Pac-12 Conference
- University of California, Berkeley Athletics
- Jack Clark
References
- ↑ SI.com, Dartmouth repeats as rugby national champs, June 3, 2012, http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2012/more/wires/06/03/2080.ap.rgu.collegiate.rugby.championship.2nd.ld.writethru.0859/index.html
- ↑ "Cal to Cut Five Intercollegiate Teams". The Daily Californian. 2010-09-28. Retrieved 2010-09-28. (www.savecalrugby.com)
- ↑ http://newscenter.berkeley.edu/2011/02/11/athletics-continuation/
- ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
- ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.