BYU 25, Cal 22: Cougars Prove That College Rugby is Not About the Bears

Jo-Ryan SalazarMay 3, 2009

For many years, the University of California Golden Bears have been-and still are-the flagship team of college rugby in the United States.

The home of 114 All-Americans, 43 USA National Team players, six Olympians, and three players who earned the respect of the Oxford blue, Berkeley's workhorses have hoisted the most banners under the tutelage of Jack E. Clark: 24 national champiomnships.

Their first team is so good, not even the New York Athletic Club, the 2008 Rugby Super League Champions, could stop them. In late February, NYAC was silenced in Coconut Creek, Florida by the score of 27-19.

Until May 2, only three other schools had hoisted championships of their own: Harvard (1984), San Diego State (1987) and the Air Force Academy (1989-90, 2003).

On the grounds of Stanford's Steuber Rugby Stadium, Brigham Young University became the fourth.

After three years of playing second fiddle to Strawberry Canyon's brightest ruggers, they finally got the best of Cal, winning the 2009 USA Rugby Collegiate National Championship 25-22.
In the losing effort for the Bears, senior flyhalf Keegan Engelbrecht slotted home five penalty conversions and fellow senior lock Eric Fly scored the only try for the blue and gold.

But the Cougars, under head coach David Smyth, had their own weapon in sophomore scrumhalf Shaun Davies.

Through a timely conversion in the 78th minute, Davies sealed the victory for the visitors from Provo, earning Championship MVP honors in the process.

Cal went up to an early lead through three of Engelbrecht's five penalties within the span of eight minutes (9', 13', 17') to make it 9-0 Bears. Seven minutes later, in the 24th minute, freshman lock Kyle Sumison scored the first points for BYU, and Davies' conversion made it 9-7.

And eight minutes after that, Engelbrecht's fourth penalty gave California a 12-7 halftime lead.

In the 44th minute, Fry's try and Engelbrecht conversion made it 19-7 Golden Bears. However, in the 50th minute, the Cougars placed pressure on Cal culminating in junior lock Viliami Vimahi's try to cut it down to 19-12.

Engelbrecht's fifth conversion in the 57th minute gave Cal a 22-12 lead. The Cougars were suddenly on their toes.
Down to 13 after Vimahi and senior fullback Sam Thorley were consigned to the sin bin, Brigham Young proceeded to score what arguably must be the biggest baker's dozen of the rugby program's history.

In the 62nd minute, the speed of senior wing Vito QaQa gave BYU their second try. Davies' conversion made it 22-19 for the Bears.

Suddenly, the contingent of Cal supporters started to look around, feeling as if the tide was turning against them.

It was.

Seven minutes afterwards, a 38-meter penalty kick by freshman center Paul Lasike tied the match.

And with minutes remaining until the end of regulation, Brigham Young sophomore prop Mike Su'a was also sent to the sin bin.

It unfazed the Cougars, though.

With California commiting an infraction on a BYU scrum in the 78th, the South African native Davies slotted home the winning penalty conversion.
The Bears never recovered. And Clark felt as if he was relieved that there was at least some parity in college rugby.

"In the end we were beaten by a better team on the day," he said following the match,, "so we'll tip our hat to the Cougars and congratulate them on their national championship."

"It's just incredible; I thought we'd blown our chance with some of those yellow cards," said a relieved Smyth following the contest. "It's massive, but we're not under any false illusions, either.

"This is this year, but we know that Cal will be back."

And with good reason.

Over the offseason, the Golden Bears will be looking to wash what has to be a unusually bad taste in their mouths after seeing their championship streak brought to a halt at five.

But with Davies, Sumsion, Vimahi and Lasike returning next year, the Brigham Young Cougars will look to reload the same way their now-vanquished foes are right now.

This may only be Brigham Young's first national championship, but if defeating the Bears happens on a regular basis, they could well be on their way to creating the next dynasty in college rugby.

And even if that may not be realized, they have successfully completed their goal nonetheless: to prove that rugby in the United States is not just about California.