BERKELEY – The 2016 Nike Cal Varsity Rugby Camp approaches July 30 with a waiting list of would-be campers still hoping to join their peers on campus at the University of California, where the Golden Bears will host a record number of rising high school seniors this summer at the camp open to boys age 15-18.
 
The camp, which been sold out since May and culminates August 2 on Witter Rugby Field, will host young men from 10 nations, 13 states and our nation's capital. Parents, family and friends will cheer on the participants in their final-day tournament under the watchful eyes of U.S. Rugby Hall of Fame head coach Jack Clark, U.S. Rugby Hall of Fame associate head coach Tom Billups, assistant coach and former U.S. international player Mike MacDonald, and a staff that includes current varsity players from every position group on the pitch.
 
As the camp's title sponsor, Nike continues a relationship with California rugby that goes back many years as the program's main sponsor and apparel provider, as does Gatorade, another longtime sponsor.
 
Campers stay in dormitory accommodations on the Cal campus and hone their performances on Witter Rugby Field, the official training and match pitch of the Rugby Bears. Attendees at the Nike Cal Varsity Rugby Camp receive instruction and analysis, with off-the-field studies in a variety of topics including rugby skills, academic advising, strength and conditioning, nutrition and drug awareness with Department of Athletics professionals and other special guests. The largest contingent of campers continues to be comprised of rising seniors whose college futures are fast approaching in the November application window.
 
In addition to their daily training sessions and orientation of the Simpson Center for Student-Athlete High Performance, campers are led through their days at seminars and clinics, with afternoon competitions featuring controlled match conditions which evolve into full contact. All meals are provided on campus and evening video analysis offer players valuable feedback on their progress before each night ends with overnight campers checked in at an on-campus dormitory.
 
Participants at the Nike Cal Varsity Rugby Camp benefit from the same high-performance environment that has helped the Golden Bears, founded in 1882 and the oldest team in Cal Intercollegiate Athletics, earn 131 All-America honors and make 691 appearances and counting on the U.S. National Team for 15s. Campers learn the same fundamentals that have served as the bedrock for Cal rugby's 27 national collegiate titles in 15s earned since 1980, four consecutive national 7s crowns and gold medals to 11 players at the 1920 and '24 Summer Olympics, where rugby will return as a medal sport at the Rio Summer Games with Cal alumnus Danny Barrett on the USA Rugby 7s roster.
 
At the Nike Cal Varsity Rugby Camp, the campers' well-being is administered to by athletic training staff from Intercollegiate Athletics. All attendees are provided camp jerseys and campers' hydration needs are fulfilled by camp sponsor Gatorade. Laundry services of training kit are tended to by IA Equipment Services.
 
Nestled in Strawberry Canyon on the campus of the University of California, Witter Rugby Field is a multi-million-dollar venue built in 1995 as a dedicated rugby facility with electronic scoreboards on the east and west ends, towering goalposts and permanent kicking nets. On and off the pitch, campers at the Nike Cal Varsity Rugby Camp are supervised 24 hours a day, including at the dormitories, where the staff lives with the campers and participates in evening activities.