California rugby recently held its 28th-annual summer camp at Witter Rugby Field in Berkeley. The event welcomed 163 campers aged 14 to 18 for instruction from the Golden Bears’ coaching staff.
Among the participants, 124 were returning campers, while 39 attended for the first time. The camp drew young rugby enthusiasts from various states including California, Florida, Oregon, New York, Montana, Hawaii, Massachusetts, North Carolina, Washington, Iowa, Arizona, Texas, New Mexico and Virginia. Additionally, international students traveled from Uruguay, Singapore, United Kingdom, France, Canada, Hong Kong and Dubai to join the camp.
Campers received training under Cal Head Coach Jack Clark and Associate Head Coach Tom Billups. Current Cal student-athletes also participated as camp counselors. The schedule included skill-building sessions and competition play. Each day started with a warmup followed by specific rugby skills training. Afternoons focused on competition play using Golden Bear Rules rugby at Witter Rugby Field.
The camp also offered seminars on collegiate athletics topics. Daley Stevens from Cal’s Athletic Study Center led an academic preparedness discussion. Tim Lew from the Northern California Referees Society conducted a “Laws of the Game” seminar offering insights into rugby laws.
Tom Billups hosted a bodyweight strength clinic teaching strength movements for personal training enhancement. Campers toured Cal’s Simpson Center for High Performance facilities.
“Our camp weekend is one of the most enjoyable of the year,” Billups stated. “We are able to share what we have learned with the players and witness their performance improve.”
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