Ruggers Close 7s Tourney With Three Wins

PHILADELPHIA — California beat Clemson, 50-0, to complete a three-match sweep Sunday at the Collegiate Rugby 7s Championship, capping the Golden Bears' 5-1 weekend at the CRC with a win over the Tigers after a 38-0 shutout of Virginia Tech and 34-5 win over Wisconsin earlier in the day at Talen Energy Stadium.
 
Forced to regroup in a bizarre tournament structure that almost assured that either Cal or Life would be left out of the cup bracket after pool play, the Bears played solid 7s rugby to seal their weekend.
 
"As I said after Saturday, we played pretty well again today," said head coach Jack Clark. "Now, us scoring 120-5 in plate matches is mostly a disservice to the teams with legitimate aspirations toward the plate. We accept our end of the proposition, but it doesn't feel right for others."
 
The Rugby Bears exited the event relieved for the status of freshman Jason Severance, who was released from a local hospital after being transported for observation following an injury in the first half, and is now with his teammates and parents.
 
The Golden Bears, winners of three of four competitions they entered, including the PAC 7s conference championship, complete their 2018-19 year in Olympic 7 with an overall record of 22-1. Nine of the 13 student-athletes who competed at the 2019 CRC return for the 2019-20 year, which awaits the program just around the corner as the United States prepares to compete in Rugby 7s at the 2020 Summer Olympic Games in Tokyo.
 
"I am proud of how the boys were able to focus on the next most important thing and finish strong," said graduated senior captain Nic Mirhashem. "Very excited for the boys returning in the fall. They're a very talented and hardworking bunch."