Our board

Board Chair

Lance Crannell

Lance Crannell’s rugby journey began at James Lick High School in San Jose, where he honed his skills before moving on to play for SJSU, the San Jose Seahawks, Olde Gaels RFC, and the California Bald Eagles. He pursued a graduate degree in Architecture at Cal Poly, Pomona, graduating in 2000. Returning to SJSU as an Adjunct Professor for the Department of Design, Lance taught Architecture, Engineering, and Design courses at SJSU, UC Berkeley and Diablo Valley College. He currently sits on a number of Boards helping to shape the future of Design, Architecture and SJSU Rugby.  Today, Lance is a Principal Design Architect and Partner at SDG Architects in Brentwood, where he resides with his wife and two daughters. Despite his busy schedule, Lance remains deeply committed to community service, actively supporting the mission and goals of San Jose State Rugby as board chair.

Board Vice Chair

Mike Annab

Mike Annab played for the Spartans from 1994-1997 under head coach Mike McDonald. He held positions as club president and team captain and the experiences of hard-fought battles on the former pitch at 10th and Alma were epic. Mike has so many great memories of rugby at San Jose State and will always hold Spartan Rugby close to his heart. In fact, he proposed to his wife during halftime of a game he captained against UNR. The Spartans, and Mike, both won that day. Mike founded and serves on the rugby alumni board for the sole purpose of contributing to the ongoing and future successes of the program, and to ensure that the legacy of Spartan rugby, from its founding in 1971, thrives for many years to come.

Board Secretary

Matt Cluin

Matt Cluin. Some say he never existed. Some say his spirit lives inside each of us. A man? No. A hero. A warrior. His courage is the stuff of legend. For no man ever accomplished as much or was as revered on the pitch as Matt Cluin. He never met a wild boar he didn’t turn into sausage. Women? Oh ya. They swoon at the mere mention of his name. His body odor was bottled and sold as an aphrodisiac by Buddhist monks in the mountains of Tibet. His skill on the pitch so legendary, they’re thinking about renaming the William Webb Ellis cup the Matthew Cluin Cup.

Board Treasurer

DJ Avilucea

Dennis “DJ” Avilucea, Jr. played for the Spartans from 2006-2010 under head coach Dean White.  He held various positions including Vice President and Social Chair. Currently, DJ is senior attorney at Borton Petrini, LLP located in downtown San Jose. He reflects fondly on the dozens of matches played in front of Spartan Stadium and throughout the great state of California. He remains close friends with many of this teammates and hopes to bring many more of his former teammates back into the Spartan rugby fold through this alumni board. DJ is proud to be a founding member of the alumni board and hopes the board can help continue the Spartan Rugby tradition for decades to come.

Board Social Chair/Marketing

Jose Cong

José Benitez Cong played at State from 1990-1993 under the legends that are Coaches McDonald & Rollo. Though in 1989/1990 as a Junior/Senior in High School, he would play Friday nights for Mount Hamilton RFC (High School) and Saturdays for SJSU’s 2nd Team as well as tour to the Santa Barbara Rugby Tournament (Anyone remember the bike on top of the burning goal post?). His favorite moments include beating Humbolt at home and playing alongside a great list of rugby brothers. José went on to play halfback for the San Jose Seahawks for over 10 years including a trip to the final 8. José is the Head of Talent at Humane and has been in the tech industry in talent leadership for 23 years including Apple, Nest Labs. He resides in San José with his family and enjoys watching sports, specially rugby, being out in nature and Crossfit. His desire is to help build a Spartan powerhouse, bring back the old Skyhawk High School Rugby League, and provide a great talent pool for the South Bay rugby scene. All while helping student athletes become strong contributing members of society.

Board Member

Chris Webb

Chris Webb played rugby at San Jose State from 2007-2010. He completed his Bachelor’s in Social Studies and the teaching credential program at SJSU. Chris played men’s rugby with the now defunct South Valley Bucs, before making his way to the San Jose Seahawks, where he gets runs in in between tending to his two children Luke and Lorelai. He teaches US History and Economics at a public high school near Watsonville. Chris is married to Melissa, a teacher in San Jose Unified School District. Together they have two children, Luke and Lorelai. Chris joined the board to do his part to ensure the program not only survives but develops to compete at a high level.