The Board of Directors of the San Diego Rugby Alumni Association is proud to announce that Chris Pascale, Tony Samaniego and Kevin Barrett have been selected for entry into its Hall of Fame.
The mission of the Hall of Fame is to recognize and honor past players, coaches and administrators of the USD Rugby program who have performed at the highest level of skill, talent, contribution and dedication; celebrate and preserve the legacy of USD Rugby; and support the future growth and development of the program.
The Selection Committee, consisting of Rob Affleck ’94 (HoF Class of 2019), Tim Kleier ’82 (HoF Class of 2019), Greg Hareld '85 (HOF Class of 2022) and Kevin Eaton, received several nominations during the consideration period of Jan 5-25.
Chris, Tony and Kevin will be honored at the Hall of Fame Dinner on Saturday, April 6th at Marina Village on Mission Bay.
Chris Pascale ‘83
Chris was a three-year starter at USD, mostly at flanker and occasionally at second row. He was a stand-out athlete who could attack the open field, tackle and score. He was a natural leader both on and off the pitch and his senior year was named to both the Southern California Griffins and Pacific Coast Grizzlies rep-sides. In addition to these on-field accolades, perhaps his most significant contributions to USD Rugby have come as a founding member of the SDRAA – where he still serves as a member of the five-man Executive Committee. He has been among the most visible faces of the organization in the eyes of the old boy community where he has rallied scores of former players and social members to join our group. Similarly, he has been invaluable in using his personal relationships to navigate the complex University administration, to build relationships with parents of current players and to regularly participate in the SDRAA Mentoring Program. He periodically addresses the team in an effort to instill – and maintain – our unique rugby and social culture. He’s also served as the emcee at the Hall of Fame Dinners.
Tony Samaniego ‘86
Tony, a product of Loyola HS in Los Angeles, was introduced to USD Rugby by John Cappetta, Chris Pascale and Mark “Mama G” Ginella during his first day on campus as part of Freshman Orientation. He went on to play four full years at scrumhalf and served as Club president his senior year. While at USD he was selected to both the Southern California Griffins and Pacific Coast Grizzlies U-23 rep-sides. Upon graduation he joined the Old Aztecs (one of Southern California’s most established men’s clubs) and played for seven years, until injury forced him to the sidelines. After relocating his family to the Bay Area Tony began a ten-year coaching career at Saint Mary’s College in Moraga where he worked with several collegiate All-Americans and was a member of the coaching staff for the 2014 National 15’s Championship team. In 2019 Tony was among ten USD old boys who founded the San Diego Rugby Alumni Association and he has served as president since that time.
Kevin Barrett ‘94
Kevin was born and raised in South Africa where he played youth and high school rugby. Upon enrolling at USD in 1991 he made an immediate impact on the Rugby team at fullback and by earning the annual Brad Yim Memorial Award for commitment to the program and his teammates. During his sophomore year he was a member of the team that won the Southern California Collegiate Championship and during his junior and senior years served as Club President where he worked closely with Hall of Fame coach Loc Vetter. Upon graduation a serious injury relegated him to Touch Rugby where he was named to the Touch Rugby National Team and represented the US in four World Cup Tournaments over the next 16 years. He continues to play socially on the beach in Del Mar. His son, William, was recently part of the Torrey Pines High School team that won the Southern California Championship and was subsequently named to the USA U18 team at loose-forward.