STANFORD, Calif. – California rugby claimed its ninth PAC Rugby 7s championship title on Sunday afternoon, the program's fourth year in a row clinching the conference championships in fall sevens action.
 
The Bears entered day two of the tournament with an unbeaten record, after they defeated Stanford (58-0), Utah (39-0) and Oregon (38-7) on day one of pool play.
 
Cal faced UCLA in the Cup Semifinals in the first match of the day. The Bears blanked the Bruins 32-0, collecting six tries by five different scorers on their way to the semifinal victory. Kealan O'Connell scored a brace and converted one try successfully to contribute 11 of the team's points. O'Connell's first try came within the first minute of playing time, consistent with Cal's pattern of scoring first and quickly to take an early advantage in their matches.
 
In a familiar matchup, Cal went head-to-head with Arizona in the Cup Finals. The last time the two teams met was in the Cup Finals of the Treasure Island 7s on Oct. 23, when the Bears outscored the Wildcats 33-14.
 
In today's match the Bears once again struck first with Max Schumacher carrying a ball past the goal line a minute-and-a-half into the contest. It was his first of two back-to-back scores to give Cal the lead heading into the half.
 
Oliver Newall kept the Bears' momentum going in the second half when he touched down in the tryzone just 40 seconds into the period. Arizona put its only points on the board with a try in minute 10, but the Bears answered back with a pair of tries in minutes 13 and 14 by Rand Santos and Alex Aguero, respectively, to hand the Wildcats a 31-5 final score and take the tournament victory.
 
Cal dominated possession and outscored its opponents 198-12 over the two-day tournament. O'Connell contributed the most points with his 33 between tries and conversions over the weekend, and was named Tournament MVP for his performance. This was the second time O'Connell has earned the honor, previously being named Tournament MVP at the Treasure Island 7s. Caleb Tomasin and Joe Kirsten also turned in notable performances, each contributing five tries on the first day of the competition.
 
"We appreciate Stanford's hosting of the event and the competing teams for their contribution," Cal head coach Jack Clark said. "Really proud of our boys for their efforts this weekend and, moreover, the focus and diligence they displayed this entire fall."
 
With their win over Arizona, the Bears were crowned PAC Rugby 7s champions, making them tournament champions of all three sevens tournaments this fall. Cal now turns its focus to the upcoming 2023 fifteens season in the spring.
 
Scoring Timelines:
 
Cal vs UCLA (Cup Semifinals)
0:53 –O'Connell 5
2:00 – Brundage 5
5:00 – Freeman 5
8:00 – O'Connell 5
9:00 – Santos 5, O'Connell 2
10:00 – Williams 5
 
Final: 32-0
 
Cal vs Arizona (Cup Finals)
1:00 – Schumacher 5
6:00 – Schumacher 5, O'Connell 2
7:00 – Newall 5, O'Connell 2
10:00 – Arizona 5
13:00 – Santos 5, Brundage 2
14:00 – Aguero 5
 
Final: 31-5
 
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