May 22, 2009

BERKELEY - Jack Clark became the sixth head rugby coach in University of California history after the 1983 season, following two years as an assistant under Ned Anderson.

Coach Clark took the helm after a successful football and rugby career at Cal that was followed by post-collegiate rugby campaigns on the U.S. National Team. Clark's play as a United States Eagle earned him a spot on the World XV team that played the Welsh National Team during its 1980 centennial celebration in Cardiff.

It's never the other team's turn to win or lose. It's the code of the sportsman, it's what we live by. It's called competition. Jack Clark

The Golden Bears beat Maryland at the end of Clark's second season as head coach to win the 1985 national title and have won 20 titles during his tenure, including 12 in a row from 1991-02 and five in a row from 2004-2008.

Clark has also served as head coach for the Collegiate All-America team, from 1985-92; head coach of the U.S. National Team, from 1993-99; and general manager for the national team, from 1993-2003.

Clark's Golden Bear rugby program has produced 114 All-Americans and 32 of Cal's 43 all-time U.S. international players, Clark among them. Altogether, they have made an astonishing total of 465 international test appearances for the U.S. National Team since 1976. Three of Clark's former players have also gone on to earn their "Blue" at Oxford University as graduate student-athletes. Additionally, Cal rugby has produced more overseas professional players than any other U.S. club.

One of 27 varsity sports under the authority of the Intercollegiate Athletics department, rugby is the oldest intercollegiate sport at the University of California, a financially self-sufficient and non-scholarship program. Its student-athletes earn their merits on and off the pitch, going on to make significant contributions as citizens of the world and loyal alumni to their University.

The success of rugby at California has flourished during Clark's coaching career thanks in large part to the tremendous support from alumni, administration, students, parents and sponsors who have ensured a permanent campus home for the team on Witter Rugby Field and in the adjacent Doc Hudson Fieldhouse, perched above campus and San Francisco Bay in beautiful Strawberry Canyon.

Cal Rugby Head Coaches
1882-1905: Competed without a coach
1906-14: Oscar Taylor and James G. Schaffer, 78-21-10 (.716)
1915-1930: No outside rugby
1931-37: Ed "Mush" Graff, won-loss records not kept
1938-74: Miles "Doc" Hudson, 339-84-23 (.760)
1975-83: Ned Anderson, won-loss records not kept
1984-present: Jack Clark, 470-68-5 (.865)

CalBears.com: Looking back at the 2009 season, a successful year with highs and lows, what stands out for you?

Jack Clark: All in all, pretty good. Of course, losing the national title match at the death kind of overshadows the season; however, we did pretty well most times out. We played a lot of minutes of rugby and spread those appearances through the whole team, which should provide the team some benefit down the road.

The team reacted favorably to being challenged. Our same-day tripleheader at the San Diego Invitational was a really rewarding experience for the team. Dividing the squad into three distinct teams and playing teams that really wanted to beat us was challenging, in a healthy way.

To again win the cup with our great rival UBC was also a highlight.

Traveling across country and defeating the New York Athletic Club [at Ruggerfest in Florida] will be memorable for the boys. Our reserves also bettered a couple of college rep teams on that trip, which is an investment in the future.

The NYAC match being a featured game at a tournament added to the excitement. Our match with the University of Calgary was a similar occasion: at night, no other matches being played, really good crowds. Fun stuff for the team.

With the recent announcements that returning upperclassman Colin Hawley and graduating senior Chris Biller have been chosen for the U.S. national squad that faces Ireland on May 31, joining former Bears Mike MacDonald and Louis Stanfill against the Grand Slam and Six-Nations champions, with Joe Welch and Kort Schubert also in the potential mix, the University of California boasts the only collegian players in the national team conversation right now. Should Hawley, Biller or these other alumni play this month for the Eagles, their selections would add to the 465 appearances made by 43 Cal alumni for their country as U.S. internationals. What are your thoughts?

Developing U.S. international rugby players is a byproduct of our mission. We are proud of our history in this regard, but playing representative rugby can't get in the way of these boys' education. A degree from the world's finest public university, to live the true student-athlete experience, needs to remain at the forefront of our mission. Once again, it's like that college sport ad that reminds us that these athletes will go pro in something other than sports.

All this said, if our students can also achieve in the international arena, it's rewarding for all of us.

Have you had much contact with the new head coach for the U.S. National Team, Eddie O'Sullivan? He is a former coaching colleague of yours on the national team.

Only a bit of time, really; he's very busy. I told him the job is like getting thrown off the top of a building with all the parts to an airplane. Eddie's a fantastic coach and a dear personal friend. I'm one of the guys in his corner.

Cal rugby also saw 15 student-athletes recognized as Scholar Athletes by the University in 2009. How has the team continued to fare in the classroom across the board?

As a team we've performed extraordinarily well in the classroom. This academic performance has become an important aspect of our internal brand as tough, competitive guys that excel in the classroom. Besides, if we're not willing to front up to these academic responsibilities, what would we really be accomplishing? Excelling is a habit. We want students who need to excel in all areas.

Sixteen players are graduating. What tangible and intangible losses does their departure create for the 2010 team?

Last season we lost only seven players, but five of them were All-Americans. This year the loss will be more in the total number of contributing players. Viewed as a one-two punch, it's fairly devastating.

However, we've been in similar circumstances over the years and I believe we'll accept the challenges of next year. We'll return some good players and other will need to fast-track their personal expectations. This is what coaching in a university setting is about. College teams virtually die at the end of each season, never to play all together again. Just as assuredly, a new team is born every year - new leaders, new talents, a new culture to an extent. If this won't keep you going as a coach, nothing will.

Do you see the potential for one or more student-athletes who are lettering in another of Cal's 27 intercollegiate sports to take a crack at rugby next season and continue the two-sport legacy?

Much harder these days, but I'd be disappointed if we completely lost our connection with football players. It's very much a Cal phenomenon for football players to give playing rugby a go at some point in their matriculation. As successful as we've been in football recently, the majority of the players still don't play on Sunday and more of them should have an interest in rugby.

I think being a two-sport letterman is underrated. It's a significant accomplishment. I also think ending an athletic career at 21 or 22 years of age is a crime. Rugby could provide many of those guys a second option as an elite athlete.

Turning back to the 2009 collegiate season, do you sense a rising level of spectator interest in the game? Witter Rugby Field hosted some large crowds, including the World Cup opener and the Rounds of 16 and 8, while the Bears also played before big audiences against Calgary at the Kickoff Tournament in Sacramento, a tripleheader against Wyoming, VMI and Navy at the San Diego Invitational; and a clash against New York Athletic Club as the featured match at Ruggerfest in Florida.

Our events, measured by attendance and just about any other measure of growth, continue to improve. Cal fans are a very loyal tribe. Rugby as a sport is an attractive spectacle. Even with our long history in the sport, the best days of Cal rugby are ahead of us.

Does that rising level of interest apply in the mainstream media, too? There appears to have been an increase in television coverage for college rugby - with Cal featured in one of the National Guard Games of the Week on ESPNU and the championship also broadcast on tape delay, not to mention several segments on local news programs about the Bears.

It's all part of the growth. Even with the proliferation of competing sports on television and the financial difficulties that newspapers and print publications are going through, we're seeing growth in our rugby coverage. There is a sports-entertainment window in the spring where college rugby could gain a niche foothold. It seems that in the spring, fans are ready for a field contact sport, and combining this demand with the built-in college fan base is a real opportunity for rugby.

It's interesting to view the NCAA Championship spring sports that are currently or have recently been broadcast. Our college rugby broadcasts for the most part measure up well. We need to remember that our competition isn't an autumn college football broadcast, it's college lacrosse, softball, baseball and the balance of university spring sports. We have work to do, but we're in with a chance to win the commercial battle versus these sports.

With little fanfare, Cal rugby also expanded and extended its sponsorship relationship with Nike this year. Is this another example of the sport's growth?

Possibly. But I'll tell you one thing: the boys love the Nike products. It's really fantastic kit and footwear, and Nike are great partners for any team trying to be the best.

California saw a remarkable run of 115 wins in a row against U.S. collegiate competition end against BYU at the 2009 national championship. The streak began after your regular-season loss to Cal Poly on April 3, 2004. What are your thoughts on that achievement?

I haven't paid any more attention to this streak than the streak before it, or the one before that. We are neurotic about reaching our potential as a team and, to a degree, about playing our best rugby at season's end, but the results in the middle are only about building the team. Maybe one day, when I'm finished, I'll take a look back at what we've accomplished, but for now I'm only concerned about the next season.

This may have been the first 30-win season in the history of Cal rugby. Does that speak to the commitment to getting as many matches and as much playing time for as much as the roster as possible?

It speaks to the need of getting meaningful first-team matches for the whole of the squad, even the freshmen. We need to keep one eye on the postseason in any given year, while remembering that we also have a responsibility to develop the entire team. Every player matters the same. They are all playing on our team to reach their potential and we need to build year-round training plans and a competition schedule to service this objective.

How did the Golden Bears manage to continue their success in the World Cup series this season, with Cal taking the two-match competition in the time-honored rivalry with British Columbia for the 10th time in the past 13 years?

As usual, by the skin of our teeth - what a fantastic rivalry. What great respect we have for UBC as sportsmen. It's a privilege to have this match tradition with the Thunderbirds. Losing the return fixture by a point after climbing back into the match and taking a lead late was gut wrenching, but that's what competition is all about. I'm really proud of the team's success over this last spell of time with UBC. They're worthy competitors and our victories in the cup have been well earned.

What about another run of success that continued with Cal's semifinal win over Army, bringing your record as Bears head coach to 32-1 against the military academies?

That record flatters us. Our matches with the military academies have always been tighter than the overall record. When those matches are over I try to always make it a point to tell those cadets how proud of them I am, how thankful I am to them.

Jack Clark calls BYU "the perfect opponent."

I have no idea if it will continue. Our focus needs to be on getting to the title match, not who we're playing in the match. With this said, I personally love coaching against BYU and I always have, dating back to the early '80s, partially because there's always so much on the line. The matches have largely been winner-take-all affairs. Even when we played them in 2001, when they had that great Kimball Kjar team, some billed it as an unofficial championship because BYU was unavailable for the national championship. It was as good of a victory for a "friendly" as is possible.

But look, BYU is our adversary, and as a foe to our university the Cougars are perfect. I wouldn't change one aspect of this BYU team - not the composition of their team, how they play or are coached to play, not the fans, nothing. They are the perfect opponent. If you can't get ready to play BYU, go see a cardiologist. They are everything you want in an opponent.

How did the scheduling of the Division I Men's Final at 7 p.m. PT work for you and the team?

From a team perspective it was fine. We didn't have any issues with the time or the venue. The lights were fine and the field held up to the pounding of the matches really well. I don't think the fans liked the late kickoff much and I don't blame them. It might be that the Division II teams should decide if their championship could be better served as a stand-alone event.

Overall the event has been magnificent at Stanford - fans, media, the whole deal. If and when the championships move to a new venue, someone in the national governing body needs to ensure we don't go backwards, that we build on the success our championships have had in the San Francisco Bay Area at Stanford. I've attended far too many championships played in front of a couple hundred fans who were, for the most part, family members of the participants. We can't go back to those days without setting our progress as a sport back. I also think USA Rugby needs to better sell this event and use the proceeds to offset the costs for the participating teams.

Discussion about creating a nationwide Collegiate Premier League - which you've previously said is overdue - is heating up again. What is your vision of such an endeavor?

Now we're way past overdue. To my knowledge, nothing is being done about creating an enhanced competition of some type, which is a real disappointment. I assume this type of work is the business of the national governing body, but maybe not; possibly, I have just incorrectly assumed this. If creating this new competition is the responsibility of the colleges themselves then we need this directive from USA Rugby and we'd best get on with it. The new season begins for some teams in September and we appear without leadership on the topic.

On the surface it doesn't appear that difficult. Throw all the Local Area Union and Territorial Union administrative stuff out the window. Get 32 teams into four regional conferences and work toward a national competition of 16. Lose the two-match weekends, throw in some annual promotion and relegation, commercially sell the hell out of the enterprise and never look back.

Looking ahead to the incoming class of Cal rugby recruits for the 2010 season, what are your impressions?

Typical class. Most or all played rugby as a second sport to football in high school. Most are Californians. All are very good students. I can't wait for them to join us and begin their experience as student-athletes, and I really can't wait until they get to be upperclassmen. That's when their true contribution to our team begins.

Several of the top college teams appear to be looking for international students with strong rugby backgrounds as an ingredient for their success. Does Cal plan to ratchet up its efforts to recruit international students?

No, we are going to continue with our approach. We typically have a foreign student or two and I imagine this will continue. About five percent of our undergraduate enrollment is foreign students and I think our team's percentage is just below this figure. This year we had two international students among our 66 players, one a solid reserve-grade player and one a starter, which is normal.

We're committed to developing our U.S. players. No one should read moral high ground into this approach because this isn't my stance. I see nothing wrong with college teams building their teams with international-student recruiting; in fact, I think it improves the standard. It's just not our approach.

Do the evolving definitions and rules regarding single-school and regional/age-grade teams affect your recruiting process?

No, not at all. There is room for both Under-19 clubs and single-school teams. It's a benefit to both the growth of the sport and our recruiting that there are as many opportunities for high-schoolers to play as possible. I think the two separate championships are a good thing - certainly, a more fair approach for the single-school teams.

Unfortunately, I also think the new high-school eligibility rules are head scratchers. In my view, college students playing in the high-school competition isn't helpful for the growth of the sport. Same with single schools having players from different schools; it doesn't help grow the sport as a bona fide scholastic sport.

Rugby has a huge opportunity right now in high-school sports. School districts are under such heavy financial burdens that sports are on the chopping block everywhere. Most of these sports feel so entitled that they're not tough enough to make a go of it without full school support.

This is our opportunity. Rugby is like that mongrel dog that needs very little. We don't feel entitled and we're more than prepared and capable of making our own way. So when we fumble the mother of all opportunities with nonsensical eligibility rules, it's disheartening.

Speaking of youth rugby, Cal will host its first rugby summer camp for high-school coaches, the National Guard High School Coaches Clinic, in July. Has there been a lot of interest?

Yes, the interest has been really good thus far. We are planning a thorough curriculum that will touch on all the responsibilities the game of rugby asks of coaches at the high-school level. We want to do our part in downloading what we know. I think coaches have similar objectives in that we want a more enjoyable experience for the players, a richer experience. This requires us as coaches to bring more organization to the task. We certainly need to create a game that is as safe and rewarding to play as possible. Also, we must not under-serve our players from a skill-development standpoint, nor from a tactics and strategy view.

In any regard we feel a responsibility to do our part and we're looking forward to the opportunity.

Does not winning the national championship this year change anything for the Bears going forward? In other words, does it get harder to win, or will the team possibly be more motivated next year?

No, not in my view. There is very little connection between this year's results and next. Remember, I've been at this awhile. We've both lost twice in consecutive years and we've won the championship every year for a decade. In my experience there isn't much connection between seasons.

I think the talk you hear in this regard is wrong. Many believe we will somehow be hungrier to win next year while others believe that, having lost, losing will come easier. It's all uninformed conjecture.

The championship is always won in the here and now. It's always competed for in the here and now. What happened last year is just that. Like this year, whoever wins next year's title will win it because they're the best team.

No amount of winning or losing is too much, and it's never the other team's turn to win or lose. It's the code of the sportsman, it's what we live by. It's called competition. You walk between the lines and you win or lose based on your preparation and performance in relation to your opponents'. There are no other factors.