Reminiscences of Caltech Rugby

I read the article in The California Tech about the Caltech Rugby Club with great interest because I organised a rugby team at Caltech about 60 years ago (between 1965 and 1967). Most of the team were foreign graduate students from rugby-playing countries, but a few Americans joined us. We had mixed success but managed a few wins, notably against UCLA. The games against USC and Eagle Rock were particularly scary, as their teams consisted of very large American Football players looking for blood and violence in the off-season. We won a few games we didn’t deserve to because of the athletic ability of Mick Mortell from Ireland—he could kick penalties from 50 meters and more.

The photo below shows the team from 1965. I apologize to those whose names I have gotten wrong.

Back, from left: Peter Dodds (Australia), Jim Fisher (Canada), Jean-Pierre Laussade (France), Jon King (U.S.), Ian Jacobs (U.S.), Tony Collings (Australia), John Gallivan (Ireland), Robert xxx (France), Mick Mortell (Ireland). Front: David McConell (Ireland), John Davies (Wales), Jim McWilliams (U.S.), unknown, Dick Lipes (U.S.), Steve Wolf (U.S.), Mike O’Sullivan (New Zealand). The author would like to add that Dick Lipes has been a generous supporter of Caltech in the intervening years. (Photo: Mike O’Sullivan)

The Caltech rugby team of the 1960s enhanced the camaraderie of being a student at Caltech and resulted in some life-long friendships. I hope the 2025 rugby team at Caltech has as much fun as we did.

Mike O’Sullivan (PhD ‘68) is a Professor Emeritus at the Department of Engineering Science and Biomedical Engineering of the University of Auckland in New Zealand.