Rugby Flash: Cal Wins 25th National Championship

Go Bears!
Congratulations!
Go Bears!
Job well done!
Go Bears!
Holy shit 25 national championships!
Go Bears!
etc.

They were other “names” last year, remember.

Losses to graduation are a problem to any varsity team. That’s why player development is such a critical element in the Cal rugby program. Last year, the Bears lost a lot of talent, yet there was enough depth to overcome the deficit and produce an undefeated season.

There’s some talent — well-demonstrated talent — among the continuing underclassmen.

Eightman Danny Barrett will be a junior next year; Brendon Daly, at lock, will move up to sophomore status; prop Jeremy Deterding becomes a senior; Todd Grant will be senior flyhalf prospect; center Seamus Kelly, playing far above his class standing, will only be a sophomore; Anthony Lombardo, as junior next year, has a couple of years left in him; and Connor Ring, at scrumhalf, moves up to the senior class in 2011.

There is one other thing in rugby’s favor that can whittle graduation losses, though it conflicts with the academic goals of Clark & Co.: USA Rugby grants five years of eligibility to college players. It’s possible for players to hang back a year — to become “super seniors.”

That’s rarity in the Cal program, though. In fact, I can’t remember the side’s last “super senior.”

… especially when compared to American football’s rules. Still, the Law has intricacies that challenge the most experienced players, coaches and, sad to say, officials.

The best way to learn rugby (besides actually PLAYING rugby) is attend matches with a rugby veteran who can offer a running commentary, Watching games like the national championships with play-by-play offered by the likes of Brian Lowe and Alex Goff can be very educational.

You’ll get a chance to see some seven-aside action on TV in June when the national college invitational tournament is broadcast on NBC. So, far, the announcers haven’t been named publicly.

Cal’s match against Dartmouth will be broadcast at 2 pm (Pacific) on Saturday, June 5. Seminfinal and final matches follow on Sunday, June 6.

Well, when you consider the tenure of the rugby championship is now 30 years and Cal has held the title for 25 of them, I can honestly say I don’t know of another team that’s dominated a sport.

Heck, the Yankee’s are the winningest baseball team in the nation — at least when you count World Series appearances. The pinstriperc took the title 27 time in 40 appearances, but it took ’em 87 years to amass that record.