Ian Slack, Class of 2021

Name: Ian Slack

Graduating Class: 2021

Major: Ecology and Anthropology

UC Davis Rugby Position(s): Flyhalf and Center

Why did you choose to attend UC Davis? For the rugby program as well as the outstanding science programs.

What was the recruitment process like for you? It was very laid back. I got to meet some of the older guys and they were very genuine. I was just a senior in high school and was pretty intimidated but I felt like the rugby boys really helped me out.

What are your favorite parts about being a member of the UC Davis rugby program? Saturdays. We play our games on Saturday, and have fun after them on Saturday. It really is a great feeling after working hard in practice all week, getting a win and then just being able to kick it with both our team and sometimes our opposition after game time.

What are your favorite parts about being a student at UC Davis? Davis is a perfect blend of being a small town yet having access to city life. It is really a great place to live which makes college pretty easy.

How do you balance schoolwork and rugby? I developed good time management skills. There really isn't any other way to excel in both rugby and school without that skill. You could argue you can't really excel in life without it.

What does a typical day and/or week look like for you? I wake up at 5, go to the weight room and do what's assigned. Shower and eat and then i'm in class most of the day. I do research in a lab too so I may try to get in there for an hour or two. I'm usually back home by 4. I'll usually cook and then go to practice so I have dinner ready for me when I'm back. After that I just hangout and start it over again.

What's the biggest challenge about playing rugby at UC Davis? Injury is a big problem. During season you always have something bugging you. I always try to rehab and take it easy when I know something isn't right.

Besides rugby, what else are you involved in on campus? I do research (I work with Ancient DNA). I am currently working at an ecology lab also. I'm also involved with greek life.

Is there anything you'd like to share with a high school player who is interested in UC Davis? Wherever you end up, always take a moment to appreciate what you've got in life.

Sam Eddins, Class of 2022

Name: Sam Eddins

Graduating Class: 2022

Major: Mathematical Analytics and Operations Research

UC Davis Rugby Position(s): Lock

Why did you choose to attend UC Davis? UC Davis was the only school that had the major I was interested in.

What was the recruitment process like for you? I looked up the team online and emailed our head coach, asking him about the program, he told me all the info and asked me to let him know as soon as I knew whether or not I was accepted into UC Davis.

What are your favorite parts about being a member of the UC Davis rugby program? Two big issues people have in college are meeting new people and making friends; joining rugby solves both of these problems.

What are your favorite parts about being a student at UC Davis? I love being in California and the campus is beautiful. I also greatly enjoy my major and all the other classes offered and the university.

How do you balance schoolwork and rugby? I get as much work done early in the day as possible, allowing me to focus entirely on practice that night. I also try my best to finish all school work before the weekend so game days are uninterrupted and Sunday can be a recovery day.

What does a typical day and/or week look like for you? A typical day involves going to class, doing homework between classes, going to practice, then doing more homework when I get home.

What's the biggest challenge about playing rugby at UC Davis? Managing your time effectively.

Besides rugby, what else are you involved in on campus? I am apart of the literature on Campus.

Jordan Naumburg, Class of 2022

Name: Jordan Naumburg

Graduating Class: 2022

Major: Mechanical Engineering

UC Davis Rugby Position(s): Back three (wing/fullback)

Why did you choose to attend UC Davis? My parents met in California but moved to Colorado so my dad could pursue his coaching career. I always wanted to return to California for school; once I was accepted into Davis, I toured the campus and immediately knew it was the university for me. Davis advocates for a strong community and has one of the best public education systems this nation has to offer(top 5 in the USA). Looking back, it was one of the best decisions I've ever made.

What was the recruitment process like for you? I attended How Do You Rec during the summer going into my freshman year and signed up for info emails for Rugby practice. I came out to the first practice and the Captain and the Co-Captain introduced themselves right away. I instantly felt welcomed and wanted to keep playing Rugby. I found myself continuously coming back to practice; I was happy to see the team and be working to be the best we could be.

What are your favorite parts about being a member of the UC Davis rugby program? I love to constantly work on improving myself with others, be apart of a team, and play rugby, which, is arguably one of the most physically demanding and fun games to be played. Being apart of the team keeps me busy and has opened opportunities for me. Some of my best memories in college have been traveling with the team: playing in tournaments together and celebrating a win on a 9-hour bus ride home.

What are your favorite parts about being a student at UC Davis? Biking. It is surprisingly fun and relaxing to bike all around the campus and the city of Davis. I enjoy to get to class on time yet cruise around to lunch or the library.

How do you balance schoolwork and rugby? Everyday when I wake up, I write down my objectives for the day as well as sit down and meditate. Its not what everyone does but because I just like to have my day well planned out, this helps me continuously be productive. I also make sure I drink a ton of water because Davis is on a fast paced lifestyle with their quarter system. People are often on the go to class, study, or sleep. Its good to be hydrated as well as have large meals throughout the day.

What does a typical day and/or week look like for you? Mondays and Wednesdays are the busiest days of the week consisting of a lift, school, practice and work. Tuesdays and Thursdays are usually big lab days and longer lectures. Fridays gets better and better every year. As an engineer, you typically start of with 2-3 lectures every Friday your freshman year and by the time you are a junior you have no classes on Friday. Even though it allows for more free time, I use this time to do home work so my Sunday's are not so intense. Saturday is Rugby day, get to travel with the boys and have some fun. Sundays can be an intense study day if I did not have enough free time on Friday, but I usually have free time on Sunday's to read or play video games.

What's the biggest challenge about playing rugby at UC Davis? Always putting the betterment of the team before your desires. This past season, I felt that I wasn't getting the amount of starts that I believed I deserved. Once I saw that its not something that anyone deserves but that its earned by the hardest working and talented individuals that the team has to offer, I learned to let go of my ego. The more I worked, the more I was rewarded. I've seen people who have started since their sophomore year get replaced by someone three years younger then them who were working harder then them. Wearing the jersey is an honor, and should always be treated as such.

Besides rugby, what else are you involved in on campus? I actually have a campus job. I work for the TAPS department and I am a bike coordinator. With the amount of people biking in and out of campus(The Census Bureau has ranked Davis the largest biking community relative to city population in the USA), a lot of people abandon their bikes or their locks rust and get stuck. We get to drive around in a truck and cut bikes for work, pretty chill stuff man.

Is there anything you'd like to share with a high school player who is interested in UC Davis? College is a time in your life where you figure out who you want to be in this world and plan how you will eventually get there. With a decision so large, trust your gut. If you choose Davis, we would love to have you be apart of our team and community.

Thomas O'Brien, Class of 2021

Name: Thomas O'Brien

Graduating Class: 2021

Major: Civil Engineering

UC Davis Rugby Position(s): Flyhalf, Center, Fullback

Why did you choose to attend UC Davis? I loved the openness of the campus and the smaller town of Davis in general. The fact that you can bike anywhere and all the essentials are close by was a big plus. I also loved all the different clubs, majors, and educational/academic opportunities that Davis offered.

What was the recruitment process like for you? I was able to get in contact with the club president at the time and meet at one of the downtown coffee shops during one of my trips to tour the campus. We sat and talked for a little about the club and what it’s like at college.

What are your favorite parts about being a member of the UC Davis rugby program? I love being able to connect with all sorts of people coming out to play rugby whether it be freshman who have never played before or graduates students going on six years at school. UC Davis rugby is a great way to make friends and have fun while at the same time satisfying the itch I have to really train hard and compete at a high level of the sport.

What are your favorite parts about being a student at UC Davis? I like being at a campus and in a town that doesn’t feel cramped or busy. Although it is a big school with lots of people I found it easy to find a place and group of friends that I like and feel close to. The campus offers a lot of opportunities to be active and part of something.

How do you balance schoolwork and rugby? I have been playing sports throughout my life and find that managing school work and practice is like anything else you plan for in life. Your going to have to plan for the things you want to do in life so I just add rugby practice to the list along with when I’ll eat, when I have class, when I’ll do homework, and when I’ll workout.

What does a typical day and/or week look like for you? A typical week involves biking to class through downtown, studying and doing homework at the CoHo, biking back home to get ready for practice that night. Then that weekend I’ll usually drive a short two hours to the mountains to swim at a lake near Tahoe or just stay local at putah creek. I also like to enjoy the rec pool, or some climbing at the ARC, or getting some guys together to play touch.

What's the biggest challenge about playing rugby at UC Davis? Being a club and competing with some other big varsity sport rugby teams in the D1A conference is pretty challenging. The weeks going into those games is a challenge but it’s fun to compete with the best.

Besides rugby, what else are you involved in on campus? Some rock climbing at the arc

Is there anything you'd like to share with a high school player who is interested in UC Davis? I would say to join rugby. If you’ve been playing sports all your life and want to stay competitive and have something to get motivated by or if you’ve never played anything, then joining rugby or any other club would be a great place to start. You can make friends, have a group to hangout with, and getting outside the dorms is always good.

Aidan Moore, Class of 2022

Name: Aidan Moore

Graduating Class: 2022

Major: Neurobiology, Physiology and Behavior

UC Davis Rugby Position(s): Flanker

Why did you choose to attend UC Davis? I chose Davis because it has endless amounts of opportunities to offer to students from internships, clubs, research and much more. It's a small little college town with great restaurants and being able to bike everywhere makes everything a little more fun. It's not to far from Sacramento, San Francisco and Lake Tahoe so being able to visit these places is made very easy by Davis' location.

What was the recruitment process like for you? I was recruited through a current player, Ian Slack, who told me to come out for a practice. I had never touched a rugby ball in my life and did not know what to expect. At first when I came out to practice I wasn't to interested in the sport but after a few practices and playing in a rugby scrimmage I started to really like the sport. Ever since then I haven't looked back and rugby has now become one of my favorite sports.

What are your favorite parts about being a member of the UC Davis rugby program? Hanging out with the guys whether at practice or after a game lets you forget about the stresses of school and allows you to just have fun and enjoy yourself. The camaraderie we all have is special and has allowed for me to find some of my closest friends.

What are your favorite parts about being a student at UC Davis? The staff at UC Davis cares about their students and are always willing to help. The city of Davis is a beautiful college town and I like how everything is so close together. Additionally, through rugby, classes and other clubs I have been able to meet people of all backgrounds and see the great diversity UC Davis has around campus.

How do you balance schoolwork and rugby? Playing rugby makes it hard for me to procrastinate and has made me better manage my time. Knowing I have less time for school work because of rugby practice/games, forces me to study or finish an assignment and makes keep on top of my work.

What does a typical day and/or week look like for you? On a school day, I will wake up and go directly to the gym. I will then come home, eat and head off to start my classes for the day. Sometime around noon I will eat lunch and study with the time I have in between classes. I usually try to get all my classes scheduled to be finished before practice so I have the rest of the night to relax. Before I head to practice I like to eat a little snack. After practice, I will have dinner and finish the night off by studying. If I have time before bed I like to play video games or watch tv as well.

What's the biggest challenge about playing rugby at UC Davis? The biggest challenge for me was understanding the game of rugby and the rules. Playing rugby for my first time last year, the sport was very different than anything I had played before but after many practices and games I was able to pick up the sport.

Besides rugby, what else are you involved in on campus? I am the Vice President of the Sports Clubs Advisory Council and a part of greek life on campus.

Is there anything you'd like to share with a high school player who is interested in UC Davis? Go Ags!!

Kevin Brookshire, Class of 2020

Name: Kevin Brookshire
Graduating Class: 2020
Major: Sociology
UC Davis Rugby Position: Scrum Half

Why did you choose UC Davis? I chose UC Davis because of the education and networking the school provides for its students.

What was your process of being recruited? I met with one of the players before I started attending UC Davis and he explained to me our practice and game schedule and the camaraderie. Once attending Davis I experienced that first hand with team BBQ’s, games, and dinners.

What are your favorite parts about being a member of the rugby program? The environment of the rugby program is very special. UC Davis has amazing coaches that do a great job teaching newcomers, while also helping more experienced players develop their skills. On top of that we compete at the highest collegiate level which makes for great competition.

What are your favorite parts about being a student at UC Davis? UCD offers tons of clubs, jobs, and internships and allows for students to get first hand experience in research.

How do you balance schoolwork and rugby? Rugby practices are only three days a week for 2 hours, so it provides me a lot of time to do schoolwork. On top of that, the rugby program has a diverse group of students studying different majors that work and help with each other to be successful in our classes.

What does a typical day and/or week look like for you? A typical week consists of class 5 days a week and rugby practice 3 nights a week. I do homework before rugby practice or the days we do not have rugby practice. 

What’s the biggest challenge about playing rugby at UC Davis? I cannot think of any challenges I have faced while playing rugby at school. Rugby has provided me a solid group of friends who I can rely on and trust.

Besides rugby, what else are you involved in on campus? I worked for Aggie Host for a small time and was a part of the Davis College Republicans.

Is there anything else you’d like to share with a high school player who is interested in your school? UC Davis is not only one of the top public universities in the nation, it also is home to a D1A rugby team that has made my time at UC Davis very memorable. I hope I can eventually give back to the club as much as it has given to me. If you are looking to be a better rugby player, play at the highest collegiate level, and be a part of a brotherhood, then come to UC Davis and join the rugby family.