Sixty-two student-athletes reported to California rugby's Witter Rugby Field for winter training camp on Jan. 8 to commence preparations for the 2025 XVs campaign. The Golden Bears returned to Berkeley for their annual training program for a 10-day camp prior to Cal's 2025 opener at Cal Poly on Saturday.
 
Cal was slated to play in the annual Dennis Storer Classic preseason tournament hosted by UCLA, but due to the Los Angeles wildfire crisis, the tournament has been canceled. The Bears will replace the fixture with a varsity match against the Mustangs at 1 p.m. PT immediately followed by a reserve-grade contest.
 
Cal rugby's longtime winter camp tradition remains firmly intact. Double-days keep the players on a tight schedule with two onfield training sessions and two team meetings each day, in addition to strength training sessions and breaking bread with one another at team meals.
 
Fifth year Charlie Walsh is set to captain the squad for the second consecutive season, joining an exclusive list of Cal rugby men who have been named two-time captain of the Bears. Walsh began his career during the COVID-19 truncated season, earning his spot in the starting lineup then and has since been the first-choice tighthead prop.
 
"Playing at Witter Rugby Field in front of friends and family is pretty special," Walsh said. "Running out in front of a big crowd filled with Cal rugby alumni and playing with your best mates, all while representing a historic program in the Blue and Gold jersey is the opportunity of a lifetime, and I'm just grateful that I get another chance to do it all again."
 
Walsh hopes to use his experience over the last four years to help inform his leadership style and guide his fellow teammates through the 2025 season.
 
"This team has a special place in my heart and I'm grateful for the opportunity to lead them again," Walsh said. "My goal is to lead by action, first and foremost, and secondly, apply all the important lessons I've learned during the duration of my career here and give full measure."
 
Head Coach Jack Clark, along with Associate Head Coach Tom Billups, has assembled a roster with 22 new student-athletes joining the Bears for the program's 143rd season. Although the team graduated some key contributors in Alex Aguero, Pat Deely, Will Shankland, Emilio Shea and Evan Weigold at the end of the 2024 season, the Bears have an upperclassmen-heavy depth chart featuring Walsh, Cade Crist, Tom Dixon, Hugo Schreuder, Jon Puckett, Dom Paga, Solomon Williams, Rand Santos, Max Threlkeld, Oliver Newall, Joe Kirsten and Kealan O'Connell, among others.
 
Cal has brought in budding talent with impressive beginnings for Oliver Kirk, Oliver Teague, Masi Koi, Chris Biller and Filip Edstrom, along with others in a promising freshman class. Returners and newcomers alike are utilizing winter training camp as a chance to push each other to new heights and earn the opportunity to don the Blue and Gold hoops.
 
"It's awesome to have a lot of new faces this year, and they've all really begun to add value to the team," Walsh said. "There's a couple of things we've started to implement into the culture side of things that I believe will bring us closer as a group, and I'm excited to continue to build our culture for this year's team. It's a special group."
 
"There is a long way to go before we will feel ready to play, but training a little XVs in the fall and playing the one match at Long Beach might have us slightly better prepared than most Januarys," Clark said. "The Mustangs are always a good side, so it's a real opportunity to compete with them early in the season."
 
Following its contest in San Luis Obispo on Saturday, Cal will host its home opener in Strawberry Canyon on Jan. 25 with a double-header against UC Santa Cruz and Utah Valley. The Bears and the Banana Slugs will kick off at 1 p.m. PT with the match against the Wolverines to follow immediately after the conclusion of the first match. Cal's full 2025 15-a-side schedule can be found below and tickets can be purchased here.
 
2025 Schedule:
Jan. 18 @ Cal Poly*
Jan. 25 vs. UC Santa Cruz, Utah Valley
Feb. 1 vs. Arizona*
Feb. 8 vs. UCLA*
Feb. 15 vs. Grand Canyon
Feb. 16 vs. University of British Columbia
Feb. 22 at Navy
March 8 at Brigham Young  
March 15 vs. Army (Homecoming/National Champions Reunion)*
March 22 vs. Saint Mary's*
April 5 D1A National Collegiate Championships First Round
April 12 D1A National Collegiate Championships Quarterfinals
April 19 D1A National Collegiate Championships Semifinals
May 3 D1A National Collegiate Championships (Indianapolis)
Home matches in bold; *Reserve-Grade Contest To Be Played; All home contests played at Witter Rugby Field
 
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