May 4, 2012
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MELBOURNE, Australia - Ryan Hodson, a starter on California's 2011 national collegiate championship team, achieved his first appearance in Super Rugby on Friday, May 4, when he came on as a replacement for the Rebels against the visiting Bulls in AAMI Stadium.
Hodson became the first Golden Bear ever to compete in Super Rugby, an elite
Southern Hemisphere competition featuring 15 professional teams from Australia, New
Zealand and South Africa.
Hodson spent 2010-11 at Cal's Haas Business School along with his twin brother,
Colin, both of whom donned the blue and gold for an exchange year before returning
to the University of Western Australia.
Ryan received All-Collegiate honors from Rugby Magazine following his season as a
lock and flanker for the Bears and has since also toured with Australia
Universities.
"The discipline and training standards at Cal helped me realize what may be required
to train in a fully professional environment," said Ryan. "These standards were
driven by the organization and clarity of the coaching staff and assistants. Cal has
given me a basis to go off in terms of preparation and
performance under pressure."
Said Cal head coach Jack Clark, "We were all so impressed with Ryan during his
exchange year with us. He is first and foremost a team man and as such he puts his
hand up for the most difficult bits of work. He is among the hardest men to have
played at Cal. I think we all knew he was going to eventually play professional
rugby."
Hodson's Super Rugby appearance adds to the program's accolades since the Bears'
2011 title. Following that national collegiate championship, Cal had nine
All-America selections, eight former players chosen for Rugby World Cup spots among
players and coaches, two alumni earn Varsity Blues with Oxford University and two
players play with the U.S. National Sevens Team on contracts sponsored by the United
States Olympic Committee.
