Terry O’Reilly was a passionate rugby player and supporter throughout his life. Born in Farnborough, England, he played for St. Anselm’s College in Birkenhead before he emigrated to America when he was 16. Growing up in Los Angeles, he continued to play rugby for Loyola Marymount. Spurning a career in television to continue his on-field play, he chose a legal career through a stint at Boalt Law School at Berkeley, where he played rugby for Cal. Following law school, he continued to play for several club teams, including the Bay Area Touring Side (“BATS”), the Old Blues of Berkeley, and the San Jose Silverhawks.
Following his 25 years of active play, Terry was extremely active in supporting the Northern California Rugby Football Union and Cal rugby. He was a Trustee of the U.S. Rugby Foundation from 1993 to his death in 2015. He was dedicated to making rugby as popular a sport in the United States as it is in most of the world.
Criteria: The Terry O’Reilly Memorial Scholarships are open to graduating high school seniors. Applicants must have a minimum 3.0 GPA on a 4.0 scale, demonstrate financial need, plan on attending an accredited four-year college or university with a recognized rugby program, and plan on joining said rugby program in the Fall of 2021. The applicant’s character, recommendations, community work, school extracurricular activity, rugby potential and personal statement will also be considered in the selection process. This scholarship may be used for tuition, books or fees.