Team History
Established in 1998, the Cal Women’s Rugby Team is a Gold Tier Sport Club at the University of California, Berkeley. The team competes in the highly competitive Pacific Mountain West D1 Conference, which includes Stanford, Chico State, UC Davis, and Fresno State.
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In 2002, 2005, 2006, 2008, 2012, and 2013, the team advanced to the USA Rugby Round of 16 National Tournament and finished in the Elite 8 in 2012, our highest finish to date. In Fall 2013, the team advanced to the 7s National Tournament in Greensboro, NC, finishing fourth.
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New players’ prior experience in rugby ranges from no experience to playing since early childhood and through high school. The team provides the opportunity for competitive play as well as the development of rugby skills for players of all experience levels.
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The team has named players to the USA Rugby Women’s Collegiate All American squad, most recently Hope Cooper. Players from the Cal Women’s Rugby team have also been successful in select side play and have been selected for the USA Rugby Women’s National Team, the Women’s 7s National Team, the Women’s Collegiate and U20 National Team.
Facts and Stats
Synopsis:
Cal Women’s Rugby has demonstrated competitive success, while developing young women into confident and dedicated community members.
Our team has played at regional playoffs every year for the last 6 years, played at Nationals (Round of 16) four times in the last nine years, and has sent players from our team to represent the USA on the Under 19, Under 23 and Senior Women’s National teams.
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Status
2004 – Sport Club, Tier A
2007 – Presented petition & made presentation to become varsity to the Gender Equity and Diversity Subcommittee of the University Athletics Board and were promised a change in status, which has not yet been granted, to support our competitive status and student athlete welfare.
NCAA Status: Women’s Rugby is a NCAA Women’s Emerging Sport, Division I
Members: Average of 60 Student Athletes, 1-3 coaches
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Record
2019: 1st Place at Pacific Mountain West 7s
2010: 13th Place National Ranking by Rugby Magazine
2008: 15th at USA Rugby Nationals, 4th place in the Pacific Coast Region
2006: 9th at USA Rugby Nationals, 3rd place in the Pacific Coast Region
2005: 10th at USA Rugby Nationals, 3rd place in the Pacific Coast Region
2002: 11th at USA Rugby Nationals, 2nd place in the Pacific Coast Region
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Tournament Championships
1st Place San Diego Scrum By the Sea – 1999, 2000, 2005, 2009
1st Place Stanford 10s – 2005
1st Place Bay Area Invitational Tournament – 1999, 2000, & 2001
1st Place – Silicon Valley Tournament – 2001
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Team Awards
UC Berkeley Club Sport Department Awards:
1999 – Most Organized Sport Club
1999 – Outstanding Sport Club Officer, Katie Wharton ’00, President
2000 – Coach of the Year Award- Kathy Flores, Head Coach
2001 – Outstanding Sport Club
2002 – Most Organized Sport Club
2003 – Outstanding Athlete – Laurel Kellner ‘04
2004 – Coach of the Year Award – Ellen Owens, Asst. Coach
2006 – Outstanding Sport Club
2009 – Athlete of the Year – Leslie Edwards
2009 – Coach of the Year – Ellen Owens, Head Coach
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Individual Player Honors
USA Rugby Women’s National Team
2005 – 2007 – Rose Whitmore ‘04
2007 – 2009 – Allyson Hemstreet ‘05
2013 – Present – Irene Gardner ’07
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USA Rugby Women’s Under 23 National Team
2022 - Hope Cooper '21
2013 – Aubrey Huey ’13
2012 – Jennifer Sever ’12
2007 – Katie Chou ’07
2002 – Laurel Kellner ’04
2002 – Rose Whitmore ’04
2003 – Laurel Kellner ’04
2004 – Rose Whitmore ‘04
2005 – Allyson Hemstreet ‘05, Jessica Shipley ‘05, Katie Chou ‘07
2006 – Allyson Hemstreet ‘05, Jessica Shipley ‘05, Katie Chou ‘07
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USA Rugby Women’s Under 19 National Team
2014-2015 – Abby Vogel ’17
2014-2015 – Caitlyn Whiteside ’17
2014 – Stacey Wong ’15
2013 – Genevieve Ireland ’15
2013 – Laci Patiga ’14
2002 – Sophia Chytry ’06
2005 – Marlee Hahn ‘09
2006 – Marlee Hahn ‘09
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USA Rugby Collegiate All Americans
2020 - Hope Cooper '21
2015 – Jessica Lewis ’15, Rose Russell ’15
2014 – Genevieve Ireland ’15
2013 – Hannah “Luke” Edwards ’13
2009 – Martha Camacho ‘11 Second Team
2007 – Katie Chou ‘07 First Team, Alissa Sambucetti ‘07 Second Team
2006 – Katie Chou ‘07 First Team, Marlee Hahn ‘09 Second Team
2005 – Allyson Hemstreet ‘05 First Team, Katie Chou ‘07, Jessica Shipley ‘05 Second Team
2004 – Rose Whitmore ’04, First Team, Rachel Suits ‘04, Second Team
2003 – Rose Whitmore ’04 First Team, Laurel Kellner ‘04, Second Team
2002 – Kim Young ’02, First Team, Makenna Barris ’02, Second Team
2001 - Ann -Yu Wang ’02, Second Team, Mary Jensen ’02 Honorable Mention
2000 - Lindsay Forhan ’00, Honorable Mention
1999 - Katie Wharton ’00, First Team, Emily Nugent ’99, Second Team
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California Grizzlies U23 Select Team
2022 - Mrinalini Jain '21, Dorothy Mao '23, Katie Brown '23, Sierra Dean '22
2023- Timea Ryan '24, Winning National Squad May Lauritzen '25
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Community Service
2000 – 2005 Team members coached Berkeley High Girl’s Rugby Team
2006 – 2007 Team volunteered at the See Jane Tri Triathlon – a Breast Cancer Fund fundraising event
2002 – 2010 Team members and former team members have coached Berkeley U19 Girl’s Rugby Team
2008 – 2010 Scholarships to Cal Women’s Rugby Camp for Girls awarded to high school players with financial need
2022-2024 Team volunteered at the Play Like a Girl event and introduced rugby to young girls in the Bay Area
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Olympic Status
Rugby (Men’s & Women’s 7s) became a medal sport in the 2016 Olympics USA Rugby is a member of the US Olympic Committee.