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1980 National Collegiate Rugby Championship

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.

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 →

Venue

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Iowa
Credit Island
 
 
Credit Island
Davenport, Iowa
Capacity:
 

Participants

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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]

  • First round
    Illinois 17-0 Dayton
  • Second round
    Illinois 16-10 Palmer
  • Semifinal
    Illinois 8-3 Ohio State
  • Final
    Illinois 7-6 Minnesota

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]

  • Navy 18-3 South Florida
  • Navy 9-6 Cornell[4]
  • Navy 6-4 Virginia Tech
  • Navy 15-6 Army

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.[5]

  • Air Force def. Principia of St. Louis
  • Air Force def.University of Northern Colorado

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 April 26–27 at Stanford. A three team round robin was organized by Michelob during the Monterey tournament.[6]

  • California 18-10 California State Long Beach[7]
  • California 16-3 Stanford[8]

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

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Regional SemifinalRegional FinalNational SemifinalNational Final
 
              
 
April 26 - Stanford, CA
 
 
California16
 
April 27 - Stanford, CA
 
Stanford3
 
California18
 
April 26 - Stanford, CA
 
California State Long Beach10
 
California State Long Beach10
 
May 17 – Davenport, IA
 
Stanford9
 
California (Pacific)15
 
April 6 - Blacksburg, VA
 
Navy (East)0
 
Navy6
 
April 6 - Blacksburg, VA
 
Virginia Tech4
 
Navy15
 
April 6 - Blacksburg, VA
 
Army6
 
Army3
 
May 18 – Davenport, IA
 
Princeton0
 
California15
 
May 3 - Lawrence, KS
 
Air Force9
 
Air Force13
 
May 4 - Lawrence, KS
 
Principia9
 
Air Force11
 
May 3 - Lawrence, KS
 
Northern Colorado10
 
Northern Colorado3
 
May 17 – Davenport, IA
 
Kansas0
 
Air Force (West)15
 
April 27 - Dayton, OH
 
Illinois (Midwest)4 Third place
 
Illinois8
 
April 27 - Dayton, OHMay 18 – Davenport, IA
 
Ohio State3
 
Illinois7Illinois10
 
April 27 - Dayton, OH
 
Minnesota 6 Navy0
 
Minnesota8
 
 
Xavier3
 

Semifinals

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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
California15–0Navy
Try: Tim O'Brien 25' c
Mark Deaton 70' c
Con: Mick Luckhurst (2/2)
Pen: Mick Luckhurst 10'		[9]
Credit Island
Referee: Chuck Erhart (Texas RU)
17 May 1980
4:30 PM
Air Force15–4Illinois
Try: Mark Roling 30'
Steve Miller 38'
Art Smith
Pen: Tom Jones 52'		[10]Try: Pete McHugh 89'
Credit Island
Referee: Jim Russell (Eastern Rockies Union)

Third place

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18 May 1980
10:00 AM
Illinois10–0Navy
Try: Bruce Anderson
Drop: Brian Mullery
McSweeney		[11]
Credit Island
Referee: Jim Russell (Eastern Rockies Union)

Final

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18 May 1980
1:15 PM
California15–9Air Force
Try: Mark Deaton c
Con: Mick Luckhurst
Pen: Mick Luckhurst 72', 75'
Drop: Mick Luckhurst 77'		[12]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

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  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.32 col.1–4
  3. ^ "Navy Tops Army; Tech Makes Semis". (April 8, 1980). The Collegiate Times, p.9 col.4-5
  4. ^ https://www.facebook.com/photo/?fbid=4968855424050&set=g.19022374397
  5. ^ Wolff, Kathy (May 1980). "Spring Chickens". The Pilot, p.S col.3-4
  6. ^ "Ruggers to host regional tourney". The Daily Stanford. April 25, 1980.
  7. ^ "Rugby team second to Berkely in regionals" (PDF). Daily Forty-Niner. April 30, 1980.
  8. ^ "Rugger choke on Cal, LBS". The Daily Stanford.
  9. ^ "Cal Gains National Rugby Final". (May 18, 1980). S.F. Sunday Examiner & Chronicle, p.C7 col.1
  10. ^ Franklin, Joe (July 14, 1980). "California Wins First National Collegiate Championship". Rugby. Vol. 6, no. 4. p. 19.
  11. ^ Cirillo, Chip (June 5, 1980). "Rugby Club Places Third At National Championship". The Daily Illini, p.23
  12. ^ Bates, Dearrel (May 19, 1980). "California Captures Rugby Title". Quad-City Times, p.15
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