The University of British Columbia Athletics

The 1974-76 UBC Men's Rugby Team is considered to be one of the best Thunderbird rugby teams to ever play the game. Coached by UBC Sports Hall of Fame inductee (2000) Donn Spence, this team put up an amazing record of 20-2 in the 1974-75 season and an impressive 25-6 record in the 1975-76 campaign. Among the big victories from the 1974-75 season, the Thunderbirds won: the Canada West Intercollegiate Championship, the Pacific Northwest Intercollegiate Championship, the Whitman Boot, World Cup Champions, McKechnie Cup and a record setting 103-0 victory over the University of Washington Huskies. Early in the season, the Thunderbirds also defeated one of the United Kingdom's top University sides, the touring University of Edinburgh, convincingly 28-7. The 1975-76 season was marked, by the first in which UBC competed in the Vancouver Rugby Union's First Division, repeat Canada West InterCollegiate, Pacific Northwest Intercollegiate, and World Cup Championships. In the Spring of 1976, this team defeated the touring Japan National Rugby Team at Thunderbird Stadium. Subsequently, UBC then traveled to Japan for a 6 game tour against university champion, club champion, regional all-star and a select Japanese team, finishing that highly successful tour with a record of 5-1, and a second defeat of Japan.
 
This incredibly talented and driven group was propelled to success through their true collegiality and commitment to teamwork. Of the 35 Thunderbird team members over these two years 13 would go on to represent Canada on the international stage.  

1974-76 Rugby Team
David Bentall, Andrew Bibby, John Billingsley, Rick Bourne, Rob Bourne, Peter Bull, Jim Burnham, Ian Busfield, Dennis Carson, Donald Carson, Frank Carson, Larry Chung, Bill Collins, David Eburne, Henry Edmonds, Robbie Greig, Robbie Googel, Doug Harvey, Warwick Harivel,  Robert Hindson, Chris Hinkson, Garry Hirayama, Rob Jenkins, Will MacKenzie, Russel Mark (Manager), Colin Masson, Geordie McPherson, John Oleson, Gary Peacock, Melvin Reeves,Kane Straith,  Graham Taylor, Paul Watson, David Whyte, Preston Wiley(Captain),  Don Spence (Coach),  Ray Banks (Coach), Ian Taylor(Coach)