June 30, 2016
On Olympic Cusp, Danny Barrett Thanks Cal
Photo: Cal Athletics – Danny Barrett
Cal Athletics Release: Anton Malko
BERKELEY – During his All-America, national championship collegiate career at California from 2009-13, Danny Barrett was routinely “able to do something on the field that no one else could do,” according to Hall of Fame head coach Jack Clark.
Barrett is now poised to do something no one else at Cal, or America, has done for 92 years with his opportunity to be selected to Team USA for Rugby 7s at the Summer Olympics.
The last two times rugby was at the Olympics – 1920 in Antwerp and 1924 in Paris — 10 Golden Bears helped the United States win gold. Barrett was a key player in Olympic qualification for these Summer Games and would be a deserving selection for the U.S. team going to Rio, where the Americans have been placed in Pool A of the 12-nation tournament along with host Brazil, Argentina and Fiji. Men’s rugby takes place August 9-11 at Deodoro Stadium.
Barrett, who also has 13 international appearances, including the 2015 Rugby World Cup, in the traditional 15-a-side game, is the youngest of three brothers from Pacifica, Calif., joining Jim and Neill, to have graduated in succession from the University.
In June, when he returned to campus for what is expected to be the final time before the Rio Games, Danny reflected on his Cal experience and shared his gratitude for everyone in the Cal Athletics family who helped him on his journey to become a proud graduate of the University of California.
Watch the video to catch up with this proud Golden Bear and prospective Olympian on the road to Rio. And Go Bears!
