All-Americans announce tour of Ireland
May 9, 2001

USA Rugby's Collegiate All-American
team has a new schedule for 2001 and a new staff.

The all-star selection of the country's best college players will visit Dublin to play Trinity and Irish Universities in the late summer. The team will also have a new head coach in former Eagle
captain Tom Billups.

The tour and new staff is the first step in revitalizing the All-American program, according to its founder, National Team General Manager Jack Clark, who is once again assuming its leadership.

USA Rugby recently appointed Clark to manage the All-American program, Billups as coach and Jon Velie, a 1989 All-American and current coach of Oklahoma University, as 2001 tour manager.

"We intend to recreate a best-practice collegiate representative program that will play the world's great universities on an annual basis," Clark said. "We're going to create opportunities for our best collegiate players to develop their game and represent America."

This year, the All-Americans are slated to play Trinity (Dublin University) on September 5 and Irish Universities on September 9, during a week-long stay in Dublin.

Trinity is one of the strongest college sides in Ireland, making the finals of the European Student Cup this year, and with five players on Ireland's national U21 team this summer. Irish Universities, meanwhile, will be a select-side chosen from Ireland's rugby playing universities, just like the All-Americans.

"My first experience in a red, white and blue jersey changed the course of my life," said new All-American head coach Tom Billups. "Representing my country was how I defined myself as a player. It was my sole focus and an immense source of pride. I carry that pride into my first post as a head coach, and will share it with the best of our college players."

Billups won 44 caps for the USA and played professionally in both Wales and England until retirement following the 1999 Rugby World Cup. He now works as an assistant coach for the men's National Team and as an assistant with perennial collegiate powerhouse, the
University of California, Berkeley.

"My involvement with collegiate rugby the last couple of years tells me that there are a lot of talented athletes in our ranks," Billups added. "I encourage all of them to join their territorial teams next month."

USA Rugby's collegiate All-Star championships will be contested in
Boulder, CO. on June 8-10, serving a dual purpose as a territorial
representative championship and an important selection vehicle for
the All-American team. Coach Billups noted that a selection advisory panel would be watching and analyzing the competition.

Based on last year's results, the matches are likely to be hard-fought. In 2000, the South ended the Pacific Coast's nine-year run of victories. In addition, the seven territories will be joined this year by a combined military Academy side that will round out the
competition to 8 teams. With Army and Navy both reaching the collegiate Final Four, the Academies side will be a strong one.

Billups is also in the process of soliciting advice on players from
many of the country's top collegiate coaches, and has already assembled his coaching staff, tapping the expertise of former Eagles, Ramon Samaniego and Rich Schurfeld.

Samaniego, a 1986 All-American, has coached at the club, collegiate
and representative levels, most recently coaching the Pacific Coast
to the 1999 senior All-Star championship. He will be the
All-Americans assistant coach, backs. Shurfeld began his rugby career at the Air Force Academy which culminated in a 10-year career with the Eagles. Now head coach at the University of Michigan, he will be assistant coach, defense, for the All-Americans.

The All-American program's history stretches back to the very beginnings of US rugby. An American Universities side toured New Zealand in 1910, and the All-American team contributed the bulk of players to the gold medal-winning 1920 and 1924 Olympic sides.

In the modern era, the program was reconstituted in 1980, shortly after USA Rugby's formation. And under Clark's direction, the All-Americans next played an outside opponent in 1987, defeating Dutch Students.

The program has not been able to maintain its competitive momentum in
recent years and has played domestically against only a Combined
Services junior side. However, September's trip to Dublin, Ireland
marks a new beginning.

"We plan to reinvigorate the program through an attractive match schedule, affordable participation, good organization, and quality coaching," said Jack Clark.

The All-American team has long been a precursor to international honors, somewhat like a U-23 or U-21 national side in other rugby nations. Current Eagle captain Dave Hodges was a rugby All-American in 1989 and 1990. Other examples include current USA fullback Kurt Shuman ('96 & '97) and up-and-coming flyhalf Link Wilfley ('99).

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