vs Alumni
May 19th, 2007 was a great day for both players and fans alike as the Santa Clara Men’s 
Touring Side played their annual match against the SCUTS Alumni on Bellomy Field, the Father Coz Cup. Father Coz himself along with dozens of alumni watched from the sidelines as their fellow alumni, which included members from the 1970s up to the class of 2006, took on the current 2006-2007 team. Both SCUTS sides wanted a win and the game most definitely did not disappoint. Although played in four 20 minute quarters, the game was close up until the very end. Juniors Greg Ginotti, Zack Peck, Scott Peterson, and Matt Saldivar each scored one try for the current SCUTS, and senior John Travis converted two kicks for points. However in the end, the SCUTS alumni escaped with the win with a final score of 26 to 24. It was a great day for all fans of Santa Clara rugby and there will be many more games like these to come.
Referee’s Recap
Referee - John Coppinger
There was a fair-sized Alumni presence at Bellomy Field on the Mission Campus in Santa Clara on Saturday as SCUTS (Santa Clara University Touring Side*) faced off against the SCUTS Alumni, however, it was a much younger than usual SCUTS Alumni group that actually laced up the boots and took to the field against Coach Chris Kron’s club.
For some reason, the SCU administration limits the SCUTS to 8 matches a year, a paltry number that certainly limits the chance for substantial improvement. (*There are also no tours, rendering the SCUTS name a historical note at this point in time.)
Hopefully, the new coaching regime of Chris Kron and Scott Rees, a team commitment to the playing of the game (and not just the social side of things), and a renewed Alumni effort at supporting the SCUTS led by Ross Malinowski (former PAXO Grizzly) and Rich Kelly (former Mission RFC Grizzly and Peninsula Green Coach) will persuade the administration to abandon this shortsighted policy.
In years past, the tradition was for the Alumni match to be played the night after the SCUTS end-of-year party, which generally gave the Alumni a distinct advantage. Times have changed. This year, the arriving alumni found SCUTS running drills. Coach Kron announced his squad’s intention to treat the match as a full-on and at pace match and, until the end, the match was played at pace and with an intensity that has generally been lacking in the 30 years that I have been an Alumni participant in the fixture.
Also, I believe, this is the first time that anyone asked the NCRFU RRS to appoint a referee to the fixture. Thankfully, Bruce appointed me (SCU Class of 77). Since I was appointed by the RRS, I felt I could not allow one of the major traditions of the Alumni match to continue, that is that the Alumni could not be penalized for anything short of murder. The only concession I made to the Alumni was to allow them to play with the wind the entire match, which the sides agreed would be divided into 4-twenty minute periods.
Despite the Alumni generally being mostly recent grads, the first try was scored by my undergraduate teammate and classmate, Terry Ryan (former Mission player and current Palo Alto Old Boy), who added the conversion with a dropkick from the touch line. Terry would add two more conversions.
Generally the match was pretty tight, although the SCUTS controlled the ball for long periods while the Alumni scrambled to play defense and had the occasional breakout.
After three periods, the score was 27-22 in favor of the Alumni. B/c of the need to get the Women’s game underway, the fourth period was shortened to 10 minutes. I know we started with 15 alumni at the kickoff b/c I counted the Alumni players on the pitch at the request of the SCUTS’ captain, who remembered that the Alumni often resort to 16, 17, or, occasionally, 18 players in the later stages of tight matches.
Thirty seconds into the last period, there was a knock-on. When we set the scrum, the Alumni hooker was missing. Apparently, he just decided he was done and departed shortly after kick off without so much as “an excuse me.” Without a volunteer to step in at hooker (which is so typical), I handed my referee’s shirt, whistle, and watch to Rick Kelly, as Rich Anderson (Class of 82, current Pelican, and mere spectator in this match) declined the whistle not wanting to interfere with his mental preparation for his pending Canada exchange (either that, or not wanting to mess up his comb-over).
A couple of tackles, one carry of the ball, 5 or 6 rucks and a few scrums quickly reminded me why some of us eventually take up the whistle.
The Alumni generally controlled the ball for the remaining nine minutes and moved into the SCUTS 22 when the ball was spilled by the Alumni in a tackle with no time left. Referee Kelly allowed advantage and SCUTS raced down the field with a two on one break. As the Alumni fullback made the tackle, the SCUTS ball carrier made a desperate pass to the trailing SCUT (the singular of SCUTS) only to have the ball float behind the receiver where it fell into the hands of Referee Kelly, who, defying the Laws of the Game (and nature) took the pass, darted towards the Alumni try line, and deftly played the ball to the trailing SCUT, who scored between the post to level the score at 27-27. In another blatant disregard for the Laws, Referee Kelly blew the whistle for full-time without allowing the SCUTS’ attempt at the conversion. Oddly enough, no one seemed annoyed and attentions soon turned to post-match matters, including a tribute to Fr. Richard Coz, S.J., the long-time faculty proctor/confessor/moderator/advocate of SCUTS over the decades.
Larry Freitas, Pelican and Class of 76, played and also referred the Women’s game. The Women were coached by Pelican Chris Fisher. Among the distinguished SCUTS Alumni present on the day was former NCRFU President/O Club Commissioner Mike Strain, who didn’t play b/c he had to attend to his daughter, who likes cookies.
All in all, a good day.
Trys Scored:
Greg Ginotti
Scott Peterson
Matt Saldivar
Zack Peck
Kicks Scored:
John Travis
John Travis