BERKELEY – California rugby's 142nd year in program history is underway with the Golden Bears' eyes set on a competitive spring season in 2024. Following the release of Cal's XV's slate, Cal head coach Jack Clark recently answered some questions fans may have about the Bears' upcoming season.
 
Q: Cal once again has a tough schedule with contests against recent national championship programs such as Army and Navy, along with BYU and Saint Mary's sandwiched between UCLA and Arizona, among others. What are your thoughts on this year's schedule?
 
Clark: In a word: challenging. It is difficult by design. To now have these annual home-and-away matches with Army and Navy is pretty special. It is a season within the season. We will have to get around to naming the three-team cup at some point. Navy were deserving winners in year one of the series, and it will be great to host the Midshipmen in Strawberry Canyon this season and a privilege to return to West Point. This is also the third year of our home-and-away with BYU. We've had lots of epic battles in the postseason with the Cougars, but now we will for sure see them every year in the regular season. Same with the Gaels; it's always a great opportunity. In combination with the other teams on our schedule, it is a fixture list that will help us build our team.
 
Q: Why has the "World Cup" with the University of British Columbia (UBC) not returned to the XV's schedule since 2020?
 
Clark: From our standpoint, there is no reason not to have them on the schedule beyond the schedule being tight. We had a really good victory against them just before the COVID-19 lockdown ended everyone's season in 2020. We were back up and running in spring 2021, but they weren't. We offered to visit in spring 2022, but they couldn't host us. I believe we could have played in 2023, but we had a jammed schedule with some of the new regular-season opponents. I also understand that they have had another coaching change, the third since longtime coach Spence McTavish's retirement. All things considered, we hope to get this match back online in the future.
 
Q: Will Cal be participating in a sevens season this year?
 
Clark: None of the fall tournaments we have been participating in over the last decade will happen this year, so we will not have a fall sevens campaign. I'm disappointed, and I could also imagine how the U.S. Olympic Committee might see the Olympic form of the game being devalued. So many teams are keen to play XV's at the exclusion of sevens. We are attempting to be good at both, but it's not how many other teams think. USA Rugby's plan for this year is to tack on a sevens championship in June. Without the benefit of a fall sevens season, I think this is a mistake; but sometimes the entire collegiate sports landscape makes me scratch my head. We will have to assess our options when the time comes and make a decision if the planned June event makes sense.  
 
Q: With the departure of leadership from Nathan Zylstra and Max Schumacher, among other senior starters, do you think the current squad is prepared to step up to lead Cal to a postseason run again this year?
 
Clark: Yes, there is a really good leadership feel to the side this season. Quality leaders in numbers is how I would describe our starting point. We will be able to form a proper leadership council of 6-8 individuals. The captain or captains will always be impressive guys, but having a strong core group of leaders is always the preference. Additionally, we played a bunch of guys early as freshmen and underclassmen last season, and this accelerates their maturity. We have team-oriented individuals within our ranks, with lots of guys contributing to the middle of the team.
 
Q: Associate Head Coach Tom Billups enters his 25th season with the Bears. What does it mean to you to have him be a part of this team all these years?
 
Clark: Tom is a blessing. He is a top man in general, and he does so much for our team. We will for sure commemorate his quarter century of rock-solid leadership at Homecoming and throughout the season.
 
Cal will open its spring campaign at the Dennis Storer Classic hosted by UCLA on January 13-14. The Bears will host their home opener on January 20 with a contest against UCSB. Tickets are available for purchase here now.
 
2024 XVs Schedule:
Home Matches in Bold
Jan 13-14 @ Dennis Storer Classic (hosted by UCLA)
Jan 20 vs. UCSB
Feb. 3 @ UCLA (reserve-grade match to follow)
Feb. 10 vs. BYU
Feb. 17 @ Arizona
Feb. 19 @ Grand Canyon
Feb. 23 @ Utah
March 2 @ Army West Point
March 16 vs. Navy, Sacramento State
March 23 @ Saint Mary's (reserve-grade match to follow)
April 6 D1A National Collegiate Championships First Round
April 13 D1A National Collegiate Championships Quarterfinals
April 20 D1A National Collegiate Championships Semifinals
May 4 D1A National Collegiate Championships (Houston)
 
STAY POSTED 
For complete coverage of Cal rugby, please follow the Bears on Twitter (@CalVarsityRugby), Instagram (@CalVarsityRugby) and Facebook (/CalVarsityRugby).