PAC Rugby Conference
{{Infobox sports league
| title = PAC Rugby Conference
| current_season = 2023
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| conference = Pac-12
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| sport = Rugby union
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| inaugural = 2012
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| teams = 4
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| country = United States
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| region = Western United States
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| champion = California
| champ_season = 2024
| most_champs = 15s: California (11)
7s: California (9)
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| website = {{URL|https://pac-12.com/sport/rugby|pac-12.com/rugby}}
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The PAC Rugby Conference was a college rugby conference composed of four schools from the Pac-12 Conference that competed against each other in Division 1-A Rugby. It was formed in 2012 with six teams, with conference play beginning in February 2013 to compete in Division 1-AA. In 2016, PAC added USC and Stanford and dropped Oregon State, and moved up to D1-A.{{Cite news|url=http://d1arugby.com/news/pac-rugby-conference-joins-d1a-rugby-stanford-usc-to-become-new-members/|title=PAC Rugby Conference joins D1A Rugby – Stanford & USC to become new members|work=D1A Rugby|access-date=2017-06-24|language=en-US}} Despite only recently moving up from D1-AA affiliation, the PAC has historically been one of the strongest conferences in college rugby, with five of its members consistently ranked in the Top 25 overall.Rugby Mag, All Divisions College Top 25, Jan. 28, 2013, {{cite web |url=http://www.rugbymag.com/cpl/6901-all-divisions-college-top-25-jan-28-2013-presented-by-selective-service-.html |title=All Divisions College Top 25 Jan. 28, 2013, presented by Selective Service |accessdate=2013-02-03 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20130629194837/http://rugbymag.com/cpl/6901-all-divisions-college-top-25-jan-28-2013-presented-by-selective-service-.html |archivedate=2013-06-29 }} The PAC Rugby Conference began play on February 2, 2013, with Cal beating Arizona State at Witter Field in Berkeley.[https://archive.today/20130215162503/http://www.calbears.com/sports/m-rugby/recaps/020213aaa.html Cal Wins PAC Opener Over ASU, Feb. 2, 2013]
History of rugby at PAC schools
Around the turn of the century, American football was frowned upon for its violence, and President Theodore Roosevelt insisted upon reform or abolition of the game. During this period of uncertainty, rugby made a brief but important reappearance in many colleges, most notably at Cal and Stanford. It was these two Universities that supplied most of the players to the two U.S. Olympic rugby teams that won gold medals at the 1920 Olympics and 1924 Olympics. PAC Rugby was shown on television for the first time in 2014, when the PAC 12 Network broadcast Cal vs UCLA.Mainstream Broadcast for Cal v UCLA, February 20, 2014, http://www.rugbytoday.com/college/mainstream-broadcast-cal-v-ucla Cal has long been one of the faces of rugby at the collegiate level. In addition, excellence by teams such as UCLA and Arizona, as well as recent growth by USC, have made the conference one of the toughest in the country.
Members
| class="wikitable" |
| Institution || Team || Location || Founded || Enrollment || Endowment || Nickname || Rugby Since || Head coach |
|---|
| {{sort|Arizona|Arizona}}
|Tucson, AZ |1885 |1969 |
| {{sort|California|California}}
|Berkeley, CA |1868 |36,142 [http://berkeley.edu/about/fact.shtml Facts at a glance – UC Berkeley] |{{nts|3150000000|prefix=$}} [http://www.berkeleyendowment.org/about.html About Us] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111107085951/http://www.berkeleyendowment.org/about.html |date=2011-11-07 }} Berkeley Endowment Management Company. Retrieved May 9, 2012. |1882 |
| {{sort|UCLA|UCLA}}
|Los Angeles, CA |1919 |40,675 [http://www.admissions.ucla.edu/campusprofile.htm Quick Facts – UCLA Undergraduate Admissions] |1934 |Harry Bennett |
| {{sort|Utah|Utah}}
|Salt Lake City, UT |1850 |Utes | 1972 | Adam Griffee{{cite web |title=COACHES |url=http://www.uofurugby.org/coaches--staff.html |website=u of u rugby |access-date=17 May 2023}} |
Results
PAC Sevens Rugby Tournament
This PAC Sevens Rugby Tournament occurs every fall. The winner of the tournament receives an automatic berth to the USA Rugby Sevens Collegiate National Championships.
The tournament debuted in 2011 where Colorado beat Utah in the final match.{{Cite web |url=http://www.rugbymag.com/news/colleges/collegiate-sevens/2428-colorado-takes-pacific-7s.html |title=Colorado Takes Pacific 7s |access-date=2013-10-03 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131005010813/http://www.rugbymag.com/news/colleges/collegiate-sevens/2428-colorado-takes-pacific-7s.html |archive-date=2013-10-05 |url-status=dead }} In 2012, all 12 of the Pac-12 schools participated for the first time and Cal won.Pac-12, Cal beats Utah, 21-12, to take PAC Sevens title, Nov. 6, 2012, [https://archive.today/20130216154210/http://pac-12.com/Sports/Rugby/RugbyArticle/tabid/266//Article/200356/Cal-beats-Utah-21-12-to-take-PAC-Sevens-title.aspx] In 2016 the tournament was hosted in Tucson, Arizona for the first time, where it was won by Cal for the fifth straight year.Recap: Cal claims fifth consecutive Pac Sevens Rugby Championship, Nov. 13, 2016, [https://web.archive.org/web/20161119060034/http://pac-12.com/videos/recap-cal-claims-fifth-consecutive-pac-sevens-rugby-championship]
References
{{Reflist}}
External links
- {{official website}}
{{Pac-12 Conference navbox}}
{{Rugby union in the United States}}
Category:College sports in California