University of South Carolina Men's Rugby

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Carolina-Clemson Blood Drive

On campus, the Carolina Rugby Team is a regular partner with the annual Carolina-Clemson Blood Drive, wherein players assist the American Red Cross in its on-campus operations and donate blood throughout the week. The Carolina-Clemson Blood Drive is a longstanding tradition of the Carolina community. As the largest collegiate blood battle in the nation and the largest blood drive in the Southeast, it has been helping area residents for more than 29 years. Since 1985, the Carolina-Clemson Blood Drive has yielded more than 100,000 units of blood, potentially helping 300,000 patients in need

“I am proud of the team for their 13th consecutive year of involvement with the American Red Cross and for donating the most blood of any sports club team on campus,” comments Head Coach Mark Morris. “ Participating in charitable events such as the Carolina-Clemson Blood Drive enables our young men to give back to the community, and we believe that altruism leads to a better sportsmanlike attitude both on and off the pitch.”

This year, the coveted blood drive trophy was awarded to the University of South Carolina during the Carolina-Clemson football match for its donation of 4,124 pints to Clemson's 3,293, giving USC six wins in a row and fifteen wins overall. Carolina Rugby is proud of its contribution to the annual blood drive, though more importantly it is thankful for all those who give the "Gift of Life."

Click here for a special article in the USC Times on Carolina Rugby alumnus Jeff Smolka, recognizing him last year for his 12 years of service and leadership with the Carolina-Clemson Blood Drive Campaign.

Carolina Rugby Wins the Shield Division at USA Rugby 7's Nationals

Greensboro, NC - The Men's Rugby Team at the University of South Carolina participated in the USA Rugby 7s Collegiate Rugby Championship held this past weekend in Greensboro, NC and walked away the winners of the Shield Division with a final record of 4-2.

Carolina lost their first match of the tournament in a tough game to Cal Poly SLO. It was 12-12 at half, though Cal had the motor and extra fresh legs in the 2nd half to score 24 unanswered points. The second match against Dartmouth, held inside the main stadium, was a clear reminder as to why Dartmouth won the USA 7's CRC last season. With 45 unanswered point, the "Big Green" dominated the match and exploited ever weakness in the Carolina line. The third match would be a turning point for Carolina as they would defeat ACC and border rival NC State in a commanding fashion with a 29-10 victory. With a 1-2 finish in pool play, the Gamecocks set themselves up to play for the Shield the following afternoon.

On day two, Carolina came out strong and defeated fellow SEC opponent Arkansas 35-7 in the first match of the morning. The second game saw a rematch against NC State, though the Wolfpack was unable to slow down the Gamecocks from finishing 40-14 in the semi-final. The final saw Carolina match up against Colorado Sate who had defeated both Auburn and San Jose earlier in the day. While the match was close and came down to the final play, the Gamecocks pulled a hat trick and brought home the hardware with a 17-12 finish. Carolina scored a point differential of 96 to 33 on day two with a record of 3-0. To read more, please click here.