Cal’s Max Schumacher a Finalist for College Rugby’s Top Award

Cal senior co-captain Max Schumacher has been named one of five finalists for the Rudy Scholz Award, which is given to the top collegiate rugby player each year. The announcement was made Wednesday.

“It means a lot,” Schumacher said Wednesday. “To make the finalists is a big deal. I think I’m up there with a lot of great players in the nation, so we’ll leave it up to whoever decides to decide.”

The other four finalists are Lewis Gray (Navy), Orrin Bizer (Life), Joe Marchant (Saint Mary’s) and Wyatt Parry (BYU). The winner will be announced in May.

This is the eighth year that the Scholz Award has been in existence, but a Cal player has never won it despite the Golden Bears’ strong history of rugby excellence. In fact, Schumacher is only the second Cal player to be a finalist.

“Maybe surprising,” Schumacher said. “The past couple years of the program haven’t been the shining star. We’re on a track to change that this year, which is promising. A lot of work left to do.”

Cal hosts BYU on Saturday in the West Region semifinals, and if the Bears win that match, they will play in the May 6 national championship match in Houston against the winner of the East Region semifinals between top-ranked Navy and Lindenwood. Cal has won 28 rugby 15 national championships, but none since 2017.

For Cal to reach the title game the Bears will need a big game from the versatile Schumacher. He can play many positions, but usually finds himself at fullback or flyhalf. Plus he the team’s kicking specialist.

He is Cal’s top points scorer this season with 115, amassed by way of four tries, 46 conversion kicks and two penalty kicks.

He attributes his field vision and kicking skills to growing up playing soccer until he was a junior in high school.

“I think I’m a unique asset in that I have a good kicking foot,” Schumacher said, “but I don’t think either one of them outweighs the other.”

"Max is certainly our MVP, and he's an extraordinary teammate and leader," Cal head coach Jack Clark said.

Schumacher is from Sacramento, but he wanted to come to Cal and play rugby for the Golden Bears since he was a youngster.

“It was everything,” he said.

He came Cal home rugby matches on the weekends while attending Jesuit High School and would emulate what he saw the Cal players do. His high school rugby team won the national championship in 2019 when Schumacher booted the game-winning penalty kick in the closing seconds against Herriman.

Now he is a first-generation college student on course to graduate from Cal’s Haas School of Business in May.

"Max has been so good for us," Clark said. "We wouldn't trade him for anyone."

Cover photo of Max Schumacher by Guy Warren Photography

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