Ron Mayes

American rugby union coach
Rugby player
Ron Mayes
Birth nameRon Mayes
Date of birth1946
Place of birthNew Zealand
UniversityUniversity of Auckland
Occupation(s)Rugby union coach and player
Rugby union career
Senior career
Years Team Apps (Points)
1976-1982 Northern California Pelicans ()
1978-1982 Pacific Coast Grizzlies ()
Coaching career
Years Team
1974-1983 Old Blues Rugby Club
1983-1987 U.S. national rugby team

Ron Mayes (born 1946) is a New Zealand former rugby union player and coach, best known for coaching the United States national rugby union team from 1983 to 1987.

Early life and career

Mayes was born in New Zealand in 1946. He was capped in New Zealand's first division team until his early retirement and transition into coaching due to an injury at the age of 22. He came to the United States in 1972.[1]

Mayes became the head coach of the Old Blues Rugby Club in 1974 and won five National Club Championships. He left the club in 1983 to sign on as the head coach of the United States national rugby union team, a position that he held through the first Rugby World Cup in 1987.[2]

Mayes had previously served as the head coach of the Northern California Pelicans from 1976 to 1982 and the Pacific Coast Grizzlies from 1978 to 1982.

Education

Mayes received his Ph.D. in Structural Engineering from the University of Auckland, New Zealand, in 1972 and performed post-doctoral research on a Fulbright Scholarship at the Earthquake Engineering Research Institute in Oakland, California.[3][4]

Mayes serves as a Fellow of the Structural Engineers Association of Northern California (SEAONC) and the statewide Structural Engineers Association of California (SEAOC).

Awards

Mayes was inducted into the U.S. Rugby Hall of Fame in 2014.[5][6]

References

  1. ^ "Welcome - U.S. Rugby Foundation". usrugbyhalloffame.org. Retrieved 2021-03-21.
  2. ^ "USRF Announces U.S. Rugby Hall of Fame Class of 2014 – United States Rugby Foundation | Growing Grassroots Rugby in America | U.S. Rugby Foundation and Hall of Fame". Retrieved 2021-03-21.
  3. ^ "PRESENTATION - "Performance of Seismic Systems" by Ron Mayes". Auckland Structural Group. 2013-03-15. Retrieved 2021-03-21.
  4. ^ "Ron MAYES | Ph. D. | Simpson Gumpertz & Heger Inc., Waltham | SGH". ResearchGate. Retrieved 2021-03-21.
  5. ^ "USRF Announces U.S. Rugby Hall of Fame Class of 2014 – United States Rugby Foundation | Growing Grassroots Rugby in America | U.S. Rugby Foundation and Hall of Fame". Retrieved 2021-03-21.
  6. ^ "Over 30 Past U.S. Eagles and U.S. Rugby Hall of Famers to Attend this Year's Induction Dinner". USA Rugby. 2018-06-05. Retrieved 2021-04-06.