Keelhaulers Rugby lands more recruits and awards

NSCRO awards and anknowledgements along with two major signings concludes a busy summer for Cal Maritime Rugby.

The Keelhaulers secured more explosive young talent to add to their current roster as Ben Tuipulotu will make his way to Cal Maritime this upcoming fall. The six-foot, 180-pound true freshman from Menlo Atherton High School will look to make his presence felt in his first year with the team and bring his leadership with him.

"Ben was a leader on and off the field and an easy choice for captain, as he embodies everything we value in a player," said Tuipulotu's high school coach Shaun Paga, who was also a U.S. National Team player himself. "Ben is a talented athlete that works hard to improve every day on the practice field and in the classroom. An inspiration to our younger players and the perfect ambassador for Menlo Atherton rugby at Cal Maritime."

Cal Maritime Head Coach Steve Hiatt is excited about the all-around ability of his newly acquired recruit.

"He's a dual-sport athlete, excelling at both rugby and football," Hiatt said. "We are excited about the skills, power, and speed he will bring to our backline."

Another big addition to the Keelhaulers is sophomore Logan Zampa who comes over from Napa College. Zampa is also multi-sport athlete who played both rugby and football at Napa High School. He also races cars in the Late Model Racing series, and is transferring in as a Facility Engineering Major. Last year, the six-foot, 252-pounder made the Pacific Coast Grizzlies for the National Small College Rugby Organization All-Star competition and was also named as a Rising Star by NSCRO.

These additions join a Keelhauler squad that had four players make the NSCRO 2018-2019 All-American and Rising Stars teams. Seniors Isaac Carrel and Michael Mukuru-Tumusiime were selected to the 2018-2019 NSCRO All-American Team, while underclassmen Jacob Jenkins and Jonah Wolfe were selected to the 2018-2019 NSCRO Men's Rising Stars team.

The NSCRO has over 6,500 men's collegiate players, many of which were considered based on club nominations submitted to NSCRO. Each of these teams select players by the demonstration of their skills, commitment and physical dominance that stands out against the rest.

The Keelhaulers reached the Elite 8 of the National Small College Rugby Organizations National Tournament in 2019 and finished 4th in the NSCRO's National Rankings. It was Cal Maritime's fourth top-five finish in the last seven years, and the 10th time in the past 11 seasons they've finished in the top 15. Several Keelhaulers and the Cal Maritime coaching staff led the Pacific Coast Grizzlies to the NSCRO All-Star Championship again this summer.