Tom Billups

Tom Billups (born December 26, 1964 in Burlington, Iowa)^[1] was an American rugby union rugby player who played for the USA Eagles as an international and Blackheath Rugby Club, Harlequin F.C., and Pontypridd RFC as a professional. He played at hooker. After retiring in 1999, he accepted an offer to coach the Eagles two years later, keeping that position from 2001 to 2006. He is also an assistant coach in the University of California, Berkeley rugby program.^[2]

Playing career

Originally a college football player, Billups discovered rugby after exhausting his football options and immediately fell in love with the game. His first experience playing with a club was with the QC Irish, a rugby union club in Davenport, Iowa, which he in part led to the 1985 7's National Championship. Developing his skills by playing club rugby in California and New Zealand, he won his first international cap at hooker in 1993. He quickly established himself as one of the preeminent rugby players in the United States. During his international career from 1993 to 1999 he won 44 caps, with 12 of those as captain.

After the professionalization of the game in the mid-1990s, he was one of the first American rugby players to pry their trade overseas, playing for Blackheath in 1996 and joining the Harlequins a year later. He ended his professional playing career in Wales playing first for Neath RFC and then with Pontypridd RFC.^[3]

Coaching

In 2001, Billups accepted the interim coaching position of the United States national team for a test against South Africa. He became the full-time coach the next year, leading the Eagles through their most successful Rugby World Cup to date, with a victory against Japan and a near-win against Fiji. He resigned in April, 2006 with a final record of 10 wins and 18 losses.

He continues to be involved in the game as an assistant coach at Cal-Berkeley, helping the Bears to 15 national championships in the past 16 years.

Notes

Sporting positions
Preceded by Duncan Hall	United States National Rugby Union Coach 2001-2006	Succeeded by Peter Thorburn