The University of California Golden Bears have confirmed their schedule for the Winter/Spring of 2016.

The schedule culminates, in 15s, with the Varsity Cup, and ends en toto with the CRC 7s invitational in Chester, Pa. But there are a few - as they say in England - banana skins along the way.

The season begins, as always, with the Dennis Storer Classic at UCLA, a two-day tournament of shortened 15s games named after longtime UCLA and former USA Head Coach Dennis Storer. Cal has won every Storer Classic that ha sheen held. It used to be a tournament for teams from the Pac-12, but is now a tournament for teams from the University of California system (Berkeley, Los Angeles, San Diego, Santa Barbara, Davis, etc.).

Two weeks later, the Bears play Cal Poly, and then get their early wakeup call as they host University of British Columbia in Berkeley in a game to be shown on Pac-12 Networks.

Cal lost 19-6 in this fixture last year, and while they won the return engagement, lost to series on aggregate score.

A trip to Arizona follows in mid-February with Arizona and Arizona State on the docket. Then Cal hosts Air Force, UCLA, and longtime rivals St. Mary’s - another game where the Bears could find themselves under pressure.

After noting Oregon State, Cal visits UBC for the return engagement of the annual two-game series. Then it’s the final PAC Rugby Conference game against Utah, the rivalry match against Stanford, and the beginning of the Varsity Cup.

Cal will play four rounds in the VC, which has never had any finalists other than Cal and BYU. The Cougars have won all three Varsity Cup finals, all by close margins. It certainly is a fact that sticks in the craw of Cal that the Bears have not won a major 15s championship since the DIA final in 2011. 

Could this be the year? Cal will have three rounds of the Varsity Cup to build toward what is expected to be another clash with BYU.

Cal 15s Schedule 2016

Jan 16-17 Dennis Storer Classic at UCLA

Jan 30 at Cal Poly

Feb 6 v UBC

Feb 13 at Arizona

Feb 15 at Arizona State

Feb 19 at Cal Maritime

Feb 20 v Air Force

Feb 27 v UCLA

March 5 at St. Mary’s

March 12 v Oregon State

March 20 at UBC

March 26 at Utah

March 30 at Stanford

April 9 Varsity Cup Commences

May 7 Varsity Cup Final