June 8, 2009
BERKELEY -
Welcoming luminaries who visited from near and far, including figures from rugby's biggest stages and another from the silver screen, California rugby entertained an array of special guests in Strawberry Canyon during the 2009 season.
In January, two-time Oscar-winning director Clint Eastwood spent the day with head coach Jack Clark, with Eastwood introduced to the team after observing an afternoon training session on Witter Rugby Field. Clint was on hand to fast-track his rugby acumen as co-producer and director of Invictus, a feature film on the 1995 Rugby World Cup champions from South Africa starring Matt Damon and Morgan Freeman.
Based on the John Carlin book "Playing the Enemy: Nelson Mandela and the Game That Made a Nation" and slated for a December release, the film had previously been titled "The Human Factor."
"What a kick to have Clint visit us," said coach Clark. "The boys could hardly believe it when I brought him over for the introduction. I realize `cool' isn't a very contemporary phrase, but Clint is cool."
Also visiting the home of the Golden Bears was Ian Muir from Nike's European headquarters in the Netherlands. Muir traveled to Berkeley to test kit and receive feedback from student-athletes during a training session on Witter Rugby Field, where the Bears wore a couple of different prototypes and provided feedback on the products.
"I'm so impressed with Nike's commitment to the athlete, to the person in the jersey," said Clark. "It appears to be a continual quest for improvement in an effort to support the athlete."
A contingent from France's National Team and Fédération Française de Rugby also traveled to Berkeley to review the Cal rugby program for a day. Backs coach Emile Ntamack, forwards coach Didier Retière, head physical trainer Julien Piscionne and medical director Dr. Jean-Philippe Hager observed training and facilities, exchanged ideas with the staff and enjoyed a sunny afternoon in Strawberry Canyon. Their visit included a review of Cal's high-performance systems throughout the athletic department, with stops to review strength and conditioning, sports medicine and the progress of the Cal High Performance Center.
A fully professionalized entity, the French federation shares players with professional clubs such as Sale, for example, which counts on its roster Sébastien Chabal, the French national star whose reported half-million-Euro salary is doubled by endorsements he has earned following his play at the 2007 Rugby World Cup.
Clark said, "The French visit to America was about learning and sharing. Their delegation was very generous with their ideas and direction."
Circling back within the borders of the United States, Cal rugby welcomed multi-time national champion Xavier High School of New York City to Strawberry Canyon for a day during its March tour of Northern California. The student-athletes had access to all of Cal's facilities and equipment for a training session on Witter Rugby Field - the pitch that ESPNU's Maria Prekeges called "in perfect shape, any NFL team would love to dig their cleats into this" - and completed their day with lunch at the International House and a tour of campus.
Xavier head coach Mike Tolkin, who has also claimed two Super League titles at the helm of New York Athletic Club and is an assistant on the U.S. National Team, called the visit "a big deal for the Xavier boys. They felt privileged to be on the grounds of a great University and outstanding rugby club. Coach Clark and Billups couldn't have been more accommodating. It was an eye-opening day for kids from the Big Apple, a great chance to see rugby in its proper environment in their own country."
Cal rugby will welcome a Xavier graduate to the Bears' 2010 team in Seamus Kelley, who played center on the rugby pitch as well as gridiron football at Xavier, where as a fullback he ran for 2,681 yards and 42 touchdowns to lead his league in 2009. He was named ESPN's regional player of the week on Oct. 15 after notching seven touchdowns, four 2-point conversions and 478 all-purpose yards in a game.
The Bears will next welcome another round of visitors to Witter Rugby Field with the first-ever Cal Rugby Summer Camp for High School Coaches from July 10-12, presented by the National Guard, followed by a camp session for high-school players from July 14-17. Visit calbears.com/camps or call 800-GO-BEARS for more information.
