Blue #1013, Ray Lehner Enters US Rugby Hall of Fame

OURFC would like to extend our warmest congratulations to Ray Lehner on his well-deserved Craig Sweeney Award which puts him among the greats of American rugby in the US Hall of Fame. This award is in honour of Craig B. Sweeney and presented to those who have made outstanding contributions to rugby in the United States. I recently caught up with Ray for this Q&A:

Tell me how you first got involved with OURFC, having already been capped for the USA?

I toured with the Penguins invitational mixed international side in 1996 and played at Iffley Road. I met Steve Hill and we started talking about a postgrad and the opportunity of putting on a Dark Blue shirt and the next year I found myself stepping out onto the field from the home changing rooms.

How is Oxford unique or not in the rugby world?

The Oxford Rugby Blue is very unique in the world of rugby, there is simply nothing else like it. Aside from being capped for your country or the British Lions, the Oxford Blue is one of the crown jewels of a player's CV. I must say that the whole experience is special, Oxford University and its rugby programme are full of exceptional and extraordinary people.

How did you react to losing your first Varsity - did it light a fire to come back stronger?

Yes it did. That was a tough loss, I think sixth in as many years, and we were determined to end that streak. In 1997, I studied a Special Diploma in Social Studies at St Anne's but sadly in '98, I didn't manage to get on a course. Instead, I played professional rugby for Henley and coached the Oxford University Women's Team that season. I returned to student life for the '99, '00, and '01 seasons with an MSt in Local History at Kellogg - and we were victorious in each of those.

How did you get involved with coaching the women?

I had been coaching my Alma Mater, Cal Berkeley, for a couple of seasons before I moved to England, so coaching was in my blood and I knew it was something I wanted to do. I started helping in 1997 in what was more of a collaboration of coaches and then in 1998 became the Head Coach. We had an amazing group of talented players led by an American, Olivia White, a Swedish International, Ulrika Anderson, and a prolific try scoring winger from Oxford, Rebecca Syed. That too was a very special experience.

Which was your favourite varsity campaign?

I would have to say 1999 was special; ending that losing streak of the previous years was really something. David Kelaher and I were the only returners from the 1997 loss and it felt really good to turn that around. Also, as a front row forward, I have to say that we gave the Tabs a torrid time in the scrum that match. At the same time, I was one player on a team of great players, all of those Blues sides were very talented. We had great leadership and our Director of Rugby, Steve Hill, ran a pretty tight ship.

You’ve gone on to coach a lot of university rugby - how important do you think university rugby is to the wider rugby world?

These days most of my coaching is at the high school (U18) level. In the case of my country, America and its international ambitions, I believe ... no, I know, for us to progress on a path of improvement we should dedicate most of our financial and coaching resources to university (U21) and high school (U18) rugby. So yes, high school and university rugby are key pieces to America's rugby success.

Do you have any particular anecdotes or memories you’d like included?

Regretfully, many of the good ones are not for a family audience, but I have some very fond memories of banter on the bus in Japan or Ireland on tour. Singing in the showers after a victory, Kangaroo Court fines, and Buffalo are also favourites.

What was your favourite match at Iffley Road?

Yes I loved those cold Wednesday night matches at Iffley Road. I suppose playing the Wallabies and pulling within a try for what might be the upset of the century was magical. Unfortunately, it was not to be, as they quickly emptied their bench and the Cinderella finish vanished.

Find more information on the US Rugby Foundation website here.