The California Grizzlies U23 team is set to embark on a tour to Argentina, bringing back a longstanding select-side name and reinvigorating something we haven't seen much of in a while—the regional select-side tour.
The tour will run from June 16 to June 24, with the first game being against Club Atletico on June 17.
The Grizzlies team is made up of emerging talent from the D1A California Collegiate Conference teams, California natives currently playing collegiate rugby out-of-state, and young local high school talent.
California Grizzlies Director of Rugby, Adriaan Ferris, has assembled a strong coaching group that includes USA U23 Head Coach Paul Keeler (Santa Clara University), along with leading California-based collegiate coaches Neil Foote (UCSB), Jason Merril (SDSU), and former US Eagle Chris O’Brien (Cal Poly).
The Grizzlies have been established to assist the development effort of US eligible players and coaches from high school, collegiate and club level. “The aim for the tour is to provide a high performance touring experience that players and coaches can use as a part of their ongoing development," said Ferris.
The 34-man team will play three matches on a tour made possible through the generous investment of principal sponsor, California Capital and Investments Group (CCIG). The Grizzlies expressed their thanks to Phil Tagami, CEO of CCIG, for supporting the California Grizzlies and the growth of US rugby.
Saint Mary's which made the final of the 2022 D1A championships, contributes 11 players to the roster of 34, and that roster includes players from nine different collegiate teams. For all players selected, the June tour could be the start of a big summer of rugby, with the US National U20 and U23 teams being set to embark on a European tour in July. A number of Grizzlies players are in the frame for National Team selection.
the Grizzlies program has been rebuilding since coming out of the COVID pandemic, with men's and women's teams working in skills and ID camps before graduating to games against opposition mostly on the West Coast. This tour, however, marks a major step forward that harkens back to the days, not really all that long ago, when touring was an important part of the rugby experience.
