What is the UCLA Rugby Alumni Association?
We are just a bunch of guys who have a shared passion for UCLA Rugby. Do we want to give a little back to a program that in many ways helped define the men we have become? Absolutely. Is it also about rekindling a brotherhood that frays over time? Definitely.
When we had our first Board meeting (over beers of course), we all collectively had one rule. We did not want to be only about asking for donations. One of our goals is to raise funds to lift UCLA Rugby without a doubt. But we want to be more about creating a group of guys with a common bond that want UCLA Rugby to be a bit larger part of their life again.
So the question is……..will you join us? No strings attached, just be part of the family. Receive some emails with updates on the team. Maybe let us be part of your social media feed. Perhaps take a phone call from a current player who wants to get into an industry that you are an expert in. There are many ways to be part of the family…….just click.
Executive Board
Monty ’88
Monty Minchin played flanker for the Bruins from '84 - '88, two of those years under the direction of Dennis Storer. Born and raised in Los Angeles, Monty has been an educator and coach for over 20 years and has coached high school / youth rugby, football and soccer. Over the past 3 years, he has assisted UCLA Rugby in its endeavors to support and grow local youth rugby. Monty is also a member of the UCLA Chancellor's Society and is involved in other UCLA programs that support the underserved.
Darren ‘92
Darren Maloney played prop for the Bruins from ’87 – ’92, under Coaches Storer, Spinella, Howard & Young, and served as head coach of UCLA from ‘94 – ’97. He heads the Culture sub-committee and serves as chairman of the Hall of Fame selection committee. Darren is an officer of a consumer finance company in Dallas, TX.
Aaron ‘12
Aaron Elman played back row and hooker for the Bruins from '08 -'12 during the program's return to the Division One National Championships. He is a founding member of the Sepi's 7, a touring side of UCLA Rugby alums carrying on the Bruin winning tradition with victories at the Las Vegas Invitational 7's (2017) & the Milwaukee Lakefront 7's (2018). Over the last several years, Aaron has spearheaded the creation of Shandorf & Finzen scholarships in honor of former teammates James Shandorf & Matt Finzen.
Dave ‘93
Dave Reneker is a really great guy that is too busy to get us his bio. We found his image in an June 2019 issue of Muscle Head magazine
Wade ‘78
Wade Killefer is the founding partner of Killefer Flammang Architects, which will celebrate its 45th anniversary in 2020 and currently has a staff of over 85 architects and support personnel. He played rugby on the Stanford team that won four national championships, for the BATS and at UCLA where he was elected into the Rugby Hall of Fame in 2009. He also coached high school rugby for a dozen years.
Skip ‘76
Skip Niebauer played during some of the most successful years in UCLA history, including the 1972 & '75 National Championship seasons and was voted MVP in 1973 under Coach Storer. Slip earned 9 USA Eagle caps, and captained the Eagles vs. South Africa in 1981 and vs. Canada and England in 1982. After retiring as a player, Skip became a Level A referee in Northern California.
James ‘13
James Faccinto played Flyhalf & Fullback from the Bruins from '09-'13 under coach Stewart. He now runs a business in publishing, tours with Sepi's 7, and assists on UCLA Rugby Alumni publicity, marketing, and communications. Since graduating he has played rugby for Philadelphia's Schuylkill River Exiles and the Olympic Club of San Francisco. In recent years he has worked closely with other graduates of his era to create the Shandorf & Finzen scholarships in honor of former teammates James Shandorf & Matt Finzen..
Russ ‘88
Russ Ortiz played flanker (15’s) and Prop (7’s) for the Bruins from ‘86 - ‘88 under Dennis Storer and went to represent the the US as a member of the US Eagles from ‘89 - ‘91. He is the co-founder and CEO of design company, has been married for 29 years to a fellow Bruin and is the father of four. He .still has lapses of pack immaturity and currently lives in San Juan Capistrano, CA.