BERKELEY – California rugby co-captain Max Schumacher has been nominated for the 2023 Rudy Scholz Award. Schumacher is among 15 nominees who will be narrowed down to a list of four or five finalists for the honor, decided on by a public vote. From those finalists, a winner will be chosen by a panel of experts and the recipient will be presented with the award at a gala event hosted by the Washington Athletic Club in Seattle on June 10.
 
The Rudy Scholz Award – named after the two-time Olympic gold medalist and USA rugby legend – is presented annually to the best men's collegiate rugby player nationwide and is sponsored by the Washington Athletic Club.
 
Schumacher is the seventh Golden Bear to be nominated for the distinction, joining Cal rugby alumni Sam Golla (2022), Sam Cusano ('20), Nic Mirhashem ('19), Kevin Sullivan ('18), Russell Webb ('17) and Anthony Salaber ('17) in the list of previous nominees. Golla, who went on to be the No. 1 overall pick of the Major League Rugby draft last August, was the first Bear to be named a finalist.
 
Schumacher primarily plays the fullback position and has been a four-year starter for the Blue & Gold. Schumacher is the Bears' leading point-contributor, logging 96 of his own just this season between his three tries, 39 conversion kicks and one penalty kick. Also a skilled sevens player, he has helped Cal to its last two-consecutive PAC 7s Championship titles.
 
Schumacher is a senior majoring in business administration at the prestigious Haas School of Business. The Sacramento native played for Jesuit High School, where he was the Marauders' season MVP for three consecutive years and, as a senior, co-captained the squad to their National Single-School Championship title.
 
"Max is certainly our MVP, and he's an extraordinary teammate and leader," Cal head coach Jack Clark said.
 
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