1980 National Collegiate Rugby Championship

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1980 National Collegiate Rugby Championship
Tournament details
Tournament format(s) Knockout
DateMay 17 – 18, 1980
Tournament statistics
Teams4
Matches played4
Final
VenueCredit Island, Davenport, IA
ChampionsCalifornia (1st title)
Runners-upAir Force
  1979 (Previous)
(Next) 1981  

The 1980 National Collegiate Rugby Championship was the first edition of an official national championship for intercollegiate rugby organized by the U.S. Rugby Football Union. The tournament was sponsored by Michelob and hosted by Palmer College of Chiropractic at Credit Island in Davenport, Iowa. [1] The Cal Bears were victorious in large part to Mick Luckhurst who was tournament MVP.

Contents

Participants

Illinois
Qualified for the National Championship by winning the college division of the Mid-America Cup at the Midwest Rugby Championship at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base in Dayton, OH. [2]

Roster:
President- Jeff Ruckman
Coach- Merle Faminow
Captain- Kevin McSweeney
Record 22-4-1(10-1-1)
Bruce Anderson (Center), Rob Beer (Prop), Craig Bergen (Prop), Dean Bostrom (#8), Bruce Gillingham (#8), Pete Hancock (Scrumhalf), Joe Janikas (Wing), Mark Kahn (Prop), Steve Lardner (Scrumhalf), Drew Kuhter (Lock), Pete McHugh (Wing), Kevin McSweeney (Flyhalf), Brian Mullery (Fullback), Mickey O'Neil (Hooker), Jim Quinn (Scrumhalf), Jeff Ruckman (Flanker), J.W. Sears (Hooker), Rick Smith (Center), Tony Sparrow (Flanker), Keith Surroz (Lock), Joe Vanderbranden (Center), Jeff Young (Wing).

Navy
Qualified for the National Championship by winning the Eastern Collegiate Cup on April 5–6 at Virginia Tech in Blacksburg, VA. [3]

Roster:
Coach- Dewey Mateer
Record (10-1-1)
Matt Aylward (Prop), Tom Brodmerkel (Lock), Jim Brownlowe (Center), John Burke (Prop), Jerry Chandler (Scrumhalf), Deryl Chen (Wing), Mike Coughlin (Wing), Dan Dewispelaere (Flyhalf), Jeff Freeman (Wing), Chuck French (Scrumhalf), James Hickey (#8), Rick Keller (Hooker), Jim King (Center), Steve Laukaitis (#8), Bob Matheny (Fullback), Herb McMillan (Flanker), Jim Merrill (Center), Kent Mills (Flanker), Dennis Murphy (Center), Keith Shultis (Prop), Brad Smith (Lock), John Theiss (Lock).

Air Force Falcons
Qualified for the National Championship by winning the West Regional on 2–4 May in Lawrence, KS

Roster:
Coach- Alan Osur
Captains- Kevin Nagie/Steve Miller
Record- 11-1
Brad Brown (Flyhalf), Jeff Burroughs (Lock), Bob Cushing (Scrumhalf), Jeff Dodson (Prop), Paul Frappier (Center), Tom Jee (Flanker), Tom Jones (Center), Jeff Lamont (Lock), Brian McNabb (Wing), Steve Miller (Fullback), Joe Motz (Scrumhalf), Kevin Nagie (Flanker), Fred Origel (Prop), Mark Ploederer (#8), Jason Prokopowicz (Prop), Jeff Richard (Flanker), Tom Robbins (Center), Mark Roling (Lock), Jerry Sirote (Hooker), Art Smith (Wing), Paul Smith (#8), Bruce Stark (Center).

California
Qualified from Far West Regional on March 22–23 at Pebble Beach, CA.

Roster:
Coach- Ned Anderson
Record 15-5-1
Buzz Brown (Prop), Darrell Breedlove (#8), Jim Castignani (Wing), Kevin Dakis (Wing), Mark Deaton (#8), Scott Denardo (Prop), Frank Helm (Hooker), Donald Hooper (Flyhalf), Tom Horvath (Lock), Mike Lemmon (Back), Tom Lemmon (Center), Mick Luckhurst (Fullback), Jeff McDermott (Flanker), Ken Meyersieck, (Scrumhalf), Tim O'Brien (Center), Doug Raisch (Prop), Bob Spurzem (Prop), Matthew Taylor (Wing), Brian Vincent (Flanker), Bob Williams (Scrumhalf).

Bracket

 
Quarter-finalsSemi-finalsFinal
 
          
 
March 23 - Pebble Beach, CA
 
 
California9
 
May 17 – Davenport, IA
 
Santa Monica7
 
California (Pacific)15
 
April 6 - Blacksburg, VA
 
Navy (East)0
 
Navy15
 
May 18 – Davenport, IA
 
Army6
 
California15
 
May 4 - Lawrence, KS
 
Air Force9
 
Air Force
 
May 17 – Davenport, IA
 
Northern Colorado
 
Air Force (West)15
 
April - Dayton, OH
 
Illinois (Midwest)4 Third place
 
Illinois7
 
May 18 – Davenport, IA
 
Minnesota 6
 
Illinois10
 
 
Navy0
 

Semifinals

The semifinals scheduled for 1:00 and 3:00PM respectively were delayed an hour and a half due to storms flooding the pitch requiring another field to be set up by the organizers.

17 May 1980
2:30 PM
California150Navy
Try: Tim O'Brien 25' c
Mark Deaton 70' c
Con: Mick Luckhurst (2/2)
Pen: Mick Luckhurst 10'
[4]
Credit Island
Referee: Chuck Erhart (Texas RU)
17 May 1980
4:30 PM
Air Force154Illinois
Try: Mark Roling 30'
Steve Miller 38'
Art Smith
Pen: Tom Jones 52'
[5] Try: Pete McHugh 89'
Credit Island
Referee: Jim Russell (Eastern Rockies Union)

Third place

18 May 1980
10:00 AM
Illinois100Navy
Try: Bruce Anderson
Drop: Brian Mullery
McSweeney
[6]
Credit Island
Referee: Jim Russell (Eastern Rockies Union)

Final

18 May 1980
1:15 PM
California159Air Force
Try: Mark Deaton c
Con: Mick Luckhurst
Pen: Mick Luckhurst 72', 75'
Drop: Mick Luckhurst 77'
[7] Try: Bruce Stark 39' c
Con: Tom Jones
Pen: Joe Motz 15'
Credit Island
Attendance: 200
Referee: Peter Jones (Midsouth RU)

All Tournament Team
Matthew Aylward (Navy) – Prop
Mark Deaton (California) – #8
Jeff Freeman (Navy) – Wing
Mick Luckhurst (California) – Fullback
Herb McMillan (Navy) – Flanker
Brian McNabb (Air Force) – Wing
Joe Motz (Air Force) – Scrumhalf
Brian Mullery (Illinois) – Flyhalf
Tim O'Brian (California) – Outside Center
Doug Raisch (California) – Prop
Jeff Ruckman (Illinois) – Flanker
James Sears (Illinois) – Hooker
Bradley Smith (Navy) – Lock
Bruce Sorensen (California) – Lock
Bruce Stark (Air Force) – Inside Center

See also

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References

  1. White, Don (May 18, 1980). "Ruggers battle in rain, muck". Quad-City Times, p.1B
  2. Cirillo, Chip (April 29, 1980). "Rutgers prove quality win mid America cup". The Daily Illini, p.1B
  3. "Navy Tops Army; Tech Makes Semis". (April 8, 1980). The Collegiate Times, p.9 col.4-5
  4. "Cal Gains National Rugby Final". (May 18, 1980). S.F. Sunday Examiner & Chronicle, p.C7 col.1
  5. Franklin, Joe (July 14, 1980). "California Wins First National Collegiate Championship". Rugby. Vol. 6, no. 4. p. 19.
  6. Cirillo, Chip (June 5, 1980). "Rugby Club Places Third At National Championship". The Daily Illini, p.23
  7. Bates, Dearrel (May 19, 1980). "California Captures Rugby Title". Quad-City Times, p.15