Berkeley RFC - Team Overview

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BERKELEY RFC

Headquartered in the East Bay, the Berkeley Rugby Football Club brings together rugby lovers of all nationalities from the greater Bay Area. Founded in Spring 2004, we are now enjoying great success in the NorCal DIII league. During winter, we play regular games on Treasure Island, San Francisco.

Dedicated to a successful season in 2010 and beyond, and providing the opportunity for great rugby and camaraderie in Berkeley and the surrounding areas!

Berkeley RFC capped off another successful year by reaching playoffs for the 3rd season in a row. Over summer, BRFC play touch rugby twice a week, and have a rugby 7s team. New players welcome anytime!

Join the BRFC! or Become a Fan!

League Season Play Bye week on March 13th, then BRFC at San Bruno Saints on Sat Mar 20th (San Bruno). Final regular season home game is BRFC v Shasta on March 27th

Home field Treasure Island field

Training: Everyone welcome - club members & potential new players

Main session: Wednesday 930 pm at Gilman Field (Gilman St & Buchanan St, Berkeley - Rain or Shine)

Optional extra session: Monday 7pm at Gilman Field

Preseason matches:

BRFC sent a touring team to the Wild West Rugby Festival in AZ (Dec 5), and played a series of local fixtures. The A side had a 4-0 record and the B side a 3-1 record, before finishing out the preseason by testing themselves against the premier club rugby team in the US and putting up a strong fight.

League season:

After being tripped up with a 2-point loss in a close fought season-opener, BRFC rebounded with a five match winning streak, and now hold a 6-2 record to sit at the top of the table.

Game 6 match report: East Palo Alto 10 - BERKELEY 22 Referee: Pete Smith

The game kicked off at the new synthetic turf field at Cubberley at 1:30 to fit in between soccer games. I expected EPA to come out like a house on fire, but it was Berkeley that had the fire and the ball and the territory and the goal kicker. Berkeley went up 3-0, then took an intercepted pass 95 meters for a converted try, then hit another penalty kick. EPA managed a try only to see Berkeley hit another kick to take a 16-5 halftime lead. More of the same in the second half as Berkeley dominated possession, position and pressured EPA into mistakes/penalties and then made them pay with kicks. Their kicker added two more penalty kicks that could have been 3 or 4 and they were pressuring the line for long periods only to come away with the 3 pointer or 3 point attempt. EPA scored a second try and despite out scoring Berkeley two tries to one, the left boot of the Berkeley kicker and EPA's lack of discipline were the undoing of the Razorbacks. I was told this was a clash between the two top teams in the division, so I think this leaves Berkeley with a clear view from the top.

Jan 09: BRFC hosts SF Fog Jan 16: BRFC hosts Aptos Beach Dogs

Jan 23: BRFC hosts Redwood Jan 30: BRFC at Humboldt Old Growth

Feb 06: BRFC at Diablo Gaels Feb 20: BRFC at EPA Razorbacks

Feb 27: BRFC hosts Marin Reds Mar 06: BRFC at Mendocino

Mar 20: BRFC at San Bruno Saints Mar 27: BRFC hosts Shasta Highlanders

Meet the BRFC class of 2009!

Team News

Playoff participants for the third year in a row!!
Once again BRFC were a highly competitive force in the toughest D3 League in the nation. With a number of teams moving up to D1 and D2 in the coming season, and some strong new teams entering the league the forthcoming season promises to be another epic year, with NorCal looking to send yet another team forward to the national championship game.

BRFC now training on world class facilities
With the opening of the $7 million Gilman Sports complex, BRFC can boast the best training facilities of any Bay Area men's team - the same type of field as used by the NFL, MLB and at the All Blacks training facilities. Featuring state of the art all-weather turf, the fields ensure an even surface and great traction, excellent illumination, and the spacious fields are never closed for rain. Adjacent to the I-80, the field is convenient for players traveling to training from San Francisco and the greater East Bay area. While other local teams are contending with dark, muddy and rained out fields over winter, the BRFC players will have a top class, safe and reliable training venue to hone their skills.

BRFC announces highly experienced coaching team for 2009-2010
Berkeley RFC is delighted to welcome back the coaching team that had led us to great success in recent seasons. Our coaching panel is made of highly experienced rugby veterans from Argentina, New Zealand (two) and the USA who have had a long association with the club. Boasting over 100 years rugby experience between them, they will cater to players of all levels of experience, and provide excellent support for the growing numbers of BRFC players.
See the lineup here

Congratulations to the latest BRFC Rugby Internationals!!
Over the summer, founding BRFC forward Hector Iriate (23 caps) was re-selected to the Mexican national team, and competed in a IRB 2011 Rugby World Cup qualifying tournament. And BRFC scrum-half Zack Abbott (21 caps) competed with the USA team at the 2009 Maccabiah Games. Zack is the 12th club member to earn national rep honors.

Team History: Berkeley RFC were founded in 2004, and complete in NCRFU Division III. In six seasons the team has drawn together players from 41 different countries, including 12 players that have earned caps at a national level. BRFC field a competitive team, and a B side for part-time, rookie and social players. With a single training session each week, BRFC is a magnet for many players who no longer have the time to commit to the training and fitness demands required of upper-division teams yet still have the burning desire to get out on the field and enjoy the ethos and camaraderie unique to rugby. The club also provides great opportunity for new players to get exposed to this wonderful sport and to play alongside those who were born breathing rugby and a number of rookies have graduated on to achieve higher honors.

In 2005-2006 the team put together some good performances on the way to notching ten wins. After a summer tour to Mexico City, where Berkeley reached the semifinals of the Juanco 10s tournament, the team came within a whisker of winning the Thunderbird invitational (November: Arizona) after progressing to the playoffs as #1 seeds. Berkeley rounded out the season with a memorable roadtrip to the 30th Montana Maggotfest tournament.

BRFC had a successful 2007 League season, finishing second place in the Central Pool. BRFC advanced to playoffs, where they were knocked out by the 2006 National Champs, Mission - who continued on to the National finals. The Berkeley RFC B side team finished the season unbeaten, notching several comprehensive wins. Berkeley concluded their season by returning to Maggotfest (Missoula, Montanta April 26-29), as the 2007 Special Hosted Side, playing the Maggots on Thursday, rafting in Idaho on Friday, and then enjoying another memorable festival.

In 2008, BRFC collected 11 wins, going 8-1 against DIII sides. Their single league play loss was a 15-17 decision to the national champion team, with the failure to award the impeccable 80th-minute match winning kick still a point of conversation. They fielded a full B side team after every A side match, who notched a number of wins over other A-side teams. For the 3rd consecutive year, BRFC's path forward was cut off by a team that would continue on to the National Championship match, being knocked out of the post-season by eventual USA Champions Reno in a tight and very competitive playoff match. 45 BRFC players made the trip to Reno, and the two teams went full-throttle at each other showing some attacking and exciting rugby. Reno would go on to be a dominant force in D1 the following season, while BRFC would regroup from some heavy loss of experience to notch another succesful campaign in 2009, with some new blood helping to sweep the club once again into post-season play.

Berkeley also have a proud Boat Race record, and can boast of a 65-match, 4 1/2 season unbeaten streak. After regrouping from their single lifetime loss they have put together another multi-season unbeaten run.

Interested in playing with us? Contact us for information. We welcome serious, social, and rookie players throughout the greater Bay Area - of all ages and sizes - to join us in enjoying the worlds greatest game!

Please support our sponsor pubs, the Missouri Lounge in Oakland, and our post match events are hosted by the Kezar Sports Bar in San Francisco

Below: Gilman Sports Complex at Gilman and Buchanan in Berkeley