Columbia, SC - Coming off an uncharacteristic 71-7 loss to the University of Tennessee, the Gamecocks are ready to hit the road for Athens, Georgia to play the Bulldogs of the University of Georgia this weekend in their second road match of the season. With back-to-back losses to LSU and UT, this weekend proves to be a critical make-or-break match up for the Gamecocks who now sit at third in the Eastern Division behind Tennessee and Florida. "We have faced what is likely to be our two toughest opponets thus far, though you can't look past Georgia," says Head Coach Mark Morris.

Georgia is currently coming off a bye week following a 29-3 loss to the Florida Gators, and are expected to come out strong, hungry for a win. "Last season was a tale of two halves when we traveled to Athens, though I'm confident we've made the right changes in practice this week and will not make the same mistakes twice," notes Coach Morris. "We are excited to receive three solid matches from the Bulldogs this Saturday and look forward to a great day of rugby."  

A victory over Georgia would give South Carolina some much needed momentum heading into the second half of the season and provide some leverage in the standings before their match up with #9 Florida on March 24th. All the action starts this Saturday at 1:45pm at Georgia's Intramural Sports Complex. Admission is free to the public.

Columbia, SC - The Men’s Rugby Team at the University of South Carolina hosted the University of Tennessee in what could be described as the SCRC Showdown of the Week. Looking to improve on last Saturday's loss against Louisiana State, the Gamecocks came out strong, determined to turn their season around. South Carolina knew a victory over Tennessee would put them back on top in the East and provide some much needed leverage in the standings before their match up with Florida on March 24th.

At the start, it became quickly obvious that defense would be Carolina’s most important asset. The Gamecocks put up a good fight, though Tennessee proved to be persistent and lit up the scoreboard ten minutes into the first half. For the next thirty minutes, the Vols scored three more unanswered tries and converted two of them to end the half at 26-0 in Tennessee’s favor. The second half was much of the same story as poor defense continued to alleviate any chance of the Gamecocks’ ability to capitalize on plays. The highlight of the second half came from sophomore wing Matthew Berenato who scored a try at the fifty-five minute mark. Senior fullback Cullen Clair successfully converted it to make the score 40-7 in Tennessee’s favor. Unfortunately this would be the only time the Gamecocks’crossed the goal line.

“We played the toughest opponent of the season in Tennessee today,” said Head Coach Mark Morris of this weekend’s events. “There were several missed opportunities, though overall our performance was poor on both sides of the ball. Our pack was flat footed and allowed Tennessee to take the tackle on their terms, knocking us back even further from the gain line. We tried to utilize our size on the inside to defend against the numerous pick and drives, though they simply got it out wide and beat us in the backline with fast passes and clean offloads. Our lack of support was detrimental to our game, and we were at a disadvantage in size” The final score ended at 71-7.

The Gamecocks look forward to their match against Georgia this coming weekend. Coming off a bye week following a 29-3 loss to the Florida Gators, the Bulldogs are sure to be a worthy opponent and hungry for a win. A victory over Georgia would give South Carolina some much needed momentum heading into the second half of the season. All the action starts this Saturday at TBA at Georgia's Intramural Sports Complex. Admission is free to the public.

Columbia, SC - Coming off a 28-8 loss to Louisiana State University, the Gamecocks are scheduled to host the Volunteers of Tennessee this weekend in what is expected to be the most important match up of the season. The Volunteers currently sit atop the Southeastern Rugby Eastern Division standings with decisive wins over both Vanderbilt and Florida. The nine-hour drive to Gainesville obviously didn't faze the Vols this past weekend in their 20-12 victory over the No.4 ranked Gators, so it’s unlikely the four-hour trip to Columbia will be a deciding factor.

A victory over Tennessee would put South Carolina back on top in the East and provide some leverage in the standings before their match up with Florida on March 24th. All the action starts this Saturday at 1:00PM on USC's Strom Thurmond Rugby Field. Admission is free to the public and team merchandise will be available for sale.

Montgomery, AL - The Men’s Rugby team at the University of South Carolina hit the road for Montgomery, Alabama to play the Tigers of Louisiana State University this weekend in their first road match of the season. Looking to capitalize on last Saturday's win over Kentucky, the Gamecocks came out strong with a try by outside center Robert Davila in the opening minutes to take an early lead. Unfortunately, the lead didn’t last long as LSU quickly capitalized on poor handling in the Carolina backline to win possession of the ball for back-to-back tries. With the wind to their backs, both conversions were complete and the halftime score stood at 14-5 in LSU’s favor. The second half was much of the same story as poor handling continued to alleviate any chance of the Gamecocks’ ability to capitalize on plays. 

“We played a competitive LSU side,” said Head Coach Mark Morris of this weekend’s events. “There were several missed opportunities on our part due to knock-ons and missed passes. Handling errors cost us some easy tries on the outside which allowed LSU to take advantage and score.” The final score ended at 28-8.

Overall, it was an up and down day, though the Gamecocks look forward to their coming match against Tennessee. Coming off a 20-12 victory over the Florida Gators, the
Volunteers may be Carolina’s toughest match-up of the entire Southeastern Matrix. The action starts at 1:00pm on USC’s Strom Field.

Columbia, SC - Following a 104-3 victory against the Kentucky Wildcats, South Carolina has cracked the Top 10 of RugbyMag's Top 25 rankings for the very first time at #8.

The Gamecocks are ready for their first road match of the Southeastern Rugby matrix this Saturday as they are scheduled to play the Tigers of Louisiana State. This will be LSU’s first match of the season, as their match with Alabama was cancelled last weekend due to inclement weather.

For those looking for a great day of rugby in Columbia this weekend, the Carolina Rugby Developmental Side is scheduled to host Davidson College at Strom Field for a 1:00pm kickoff on Saturday. Please come out and support our players to their second victory of the season!

The Southeastern Collegiate Rugby Conference has four teams ranked overall, with rivals Florida (4), Tennessee (17), and Arkansas (24) all meriting attention.

Columbia, SC - The Men’s Rugby team at the University of South Carolina opened up spring matrix play this past Saturday with a home match against the Kentucky Wildcats. Excited to kick the season off, the Gamecocks played with energy and speed, never allowing the Wildcats to get a good hold on the match. The final score ended at 104-3.

The Gamecocks scored 16 tries and made 12 conversions in the match, and Kentucky’s points came from a kick after a penalty. Carolina fielded an experienced side of many seniors and juniors while Kentucky’s team is still young, accounting for the some of the positive plays that went the Gamecock’s way. Matt Augustine of Carolina cited experience and solid scrums as the main reasons for success. Strong scrums opened up solid passing lanes and smooth movement to the back lines for the Gamecocks, allowing them to create spacing and break away for long advances. Augustine did credit the Wildcats with excellent rucking when they had the ball, pointing out that Kentucky held strong in the trenches when they were on offense.

Overall, great rugby was played, and the Gamecocks look forward to their coming match against LSU. They know it will be a true test of their ability and hope to bring the same energy they had in the Kentucky match to next weekend’s game.

Columbia, SC - In what is anticipated to be a highly competitive season of Southeastern Rugby, South Carolina benefits from an early shake-up in the polls to move into the Top Ten a week before their match up with Kentucky.

South Carolina finished strong last fall with a 9-0 record, including 6-0 in regulation match play. Highlights from this past season include defeating long-time ACRL rivals Clemson and North Carolina and winning the Palmetto State Championship. With the core of the team returning this spring, joined by a strong freshman class, the Gamecocks look to continue their success in the SCRC matrix with much of its tougher competition, Tennessee and Florida, traveling to Columbia. South Carolina's first match will be at home against the Kentucky Wildcats on Saturday, February 4th.

The Southeastern Collegiate Rugby Conference has four teams ranked overall, with rivals Florida (4), Tennessee (17), and Arkansas (23) all meriting attention.

Columbia, SC - The Fall 2011 Semester was a successful one for the Carolina Men’s Rugby Team. The Gamecocks finished strong with a 9-0 record, including 6-0 in regulation match play. The three shortened victories came from a sweep of the Palmetto State Tournament, including a 15-13 victory over Clemson in the final. The team faced in-state and neighboring-state teams, including Clemson (twice), Coastal Carolina (twice), North Carolina, North Carolina State, and both the Greenville and Columbia Men’s Club teams. The wins brought Carolina’s home record to 5-0-0 for the fall season, and extended the overall home record to 18-1-1 for the last 20 home matches.

Highlights from the season include defeating Clemson twice and winning the Palmetto State Championship. Clemson has not beaten USC since 2006, and the State Championship was Carolina’s sixth title in program history, making it the most of any team in the state. The Carolina Rugby program has been nationally ranked the last four years, maintaining a Top 25 ranking the entirety of the fall season. The Gamecocks currently sit in the 11th spot in RugbyMag’s Top 25 heading into the spring matrix.

The team competes at the Division I level in USA Rugby and is the second highest ranked team in the Southeastern Collegiate Rugby Conference. The Southeastern Collegiate Rugby Conference has four teams ranked overall, with rivals Florida (4th), Tennessee (17th), and Arkansas (23rd) all meriting attention.

The completion of this season marks the third year that the team has had three full competitive sides. Carolina is the only team in the South that has three sides that consistently compete, and USC is one of the largest teams in the nation with over sixty-five players. The Gamecocks boast one of the largest coaching staffs in the South with eight USA Rugby certified coaches, including assistant coach Geoff mason who is one of only a few former professional players coaching a collegiate rugby program in the nation today.

The team is proud of its success over the past few years and is excited to build upon it even further in the coming spring semester. Carolina will have three home matches (Kentucky, Tennessee, and Florida) and three away matches (LSU, Georgia, and Vanderbilt) in the spring matrix, and their performance will determine eligibility to compete for the national championship in May. The Gamecocks expect to perform well in the spring and hope to add to their successes from this and past semesters.

Columbia, SC - In another SEC Rugby-versus-Atlantic Coast matchup, South Carolina  defeated in-state rival Clemson for the second time this season with a final score of 25-19. The Gamecocks finish the fall season undefeated at 9-0 (6-0 in regulation time) as they now prepare for the Southeastern Rugby matrix in the spring. South Carolina's first match will be at home against the Kentucky Wildcats on Saturday, February 4th.

The Southeastern Collegiate Rugby Conference has four teams ranked overall, with rivals Florida (4), Tennessee (17), and Arkansas (23) all meriting attention.

Columbia, SC - In another SEC Rugby-versus-Atlantic Coast matchup, South Carolina  defeated in-state rival Clemson 15-13 to claim the 2011 Palmetto State Rugby Tournament held at Furman University. The Gamecocks look ahead to UNC Chapel Hill on Saturday, November 5th to keep their undefeated streak alive.

The Southeastern Collegiate Rugby Conference has five teams ranked overall, with rivals Florida (4), Tennessee (17), LSU (20), and Arkansas (24) all meriting attention.

RugbyMag.Com Staff - "In another SEC Rugby-versus-Atlantic Coast matchup, South Carolina pounded NC State 38-7. The Gamecocks have a couple of impressive wins over area men's clubs in the bag this preseason, which coupled with the way they finished last year, has them looking quite dangerous."

The Southeastern Collegiate Rugby Conference has four teams ranked overall, with rivals Florida (7), Tennessee (17), and LSU (19) all meriting attention.

Columbia, SC - The speed and quickness of the Gamecock backline proved to be too much for the older, stronger alumni.

Columbia, SC - After their victory in their first match of the fall semester, the Gamecocks were eager to continue their success. Carolina came into the match with a win over the Columbia area men’s team and wanted to prove their worth against collegiate opponents as well. Despite boasting a roster still filled with players from its 2009 D3 national championship, the Chanticleers could not keep pace with the Gamecocks. The match was another great showing for the Gamecocks, though, as they controlled play in both halves and secured the victory, 64-14.

The match started out with the Gamecocks taking control. Quick tries were scored in the first ten minutes, and there was no looking back. Tries were put down by O’Shea, Zakrzewski, McKeon, and Boland (with Boland scoring two). Cullen Clair made four out of the five conversions, giving the Gamecocks a 33-0 lead at halftime. There were strong moments for Coastal Carolina in the first half, and they almost scored off of strong forward play and sloppy defense by the Gamecocks around the midpoint of the first half. Turnovers and penalties, however, kept them from putting points on the board.

The Gamecocks continued the strong play in the second half. Several tries were scored in quick succession by Carolina, including ones from Mysona and Lawler. The Gamecocks scored three more tries and scored two of the three conversions, making the score 52-0 with about 20 minutes left. Coastal Carolina had strong moments in the second half, though, and they put together a scoring drive that shocked Carolina. The conversion was good and they were on the board 52-7. The Gamecocks responded with two more tries and began experimenting with different players for the conversion and converted one of the two, bringing the score to 64-7. Coastal Carolina punched in other try near the end of the match, but they could not dent the lead the Gamecocks had established. The match closed with the final score at 64-14.

Head Coach for the Gamecocks, Mark Morris, commented, “Our guys are finally understanding that this is an unselfish passing game about off-loading to keep ball moving forward without stopping.” He complimented the team’s support throughout the game and the domination in the set pieces. “We won 100% of lineouts, were strong in the rucks, and won almost every scrum. It was a beautiful team effort,” he added.

The Gamecocks are happy with their early success this fall but look forward to their match against NC State coming up on October 15th. This match will be a true test of their ability to support each other in open field play and will require big play from both forwards and backs. Carolina hopes to continue this win streak throughout the rest of the semester.

Columbia, SC - As part of a long-standing tradition, South Carolina took on its local men's affiliate Columbia Olde Grey in its fall season opener on Saturday September 10th. And, as a continuation of that tradition, the Gamecocks prevailed once again. The match began with good efforts from both teams, but Carolina’s youth and conditioning soon took a toll against Olde Grey as the Gamecocks went on to win 56-5.

During the first ten minutes of play, both Carolina and Olde Grey had attempts for a try. Carolina tried to strike first but was stopped by the Rhinos as poor passing turned the ball over. Olde Grey drove the ball down the field with good passing and runs from the backline, and they seemed poised to score when the progress was stopped about ten meters out. The forwards regrouped and attempted pounds, but the Carolina defense stepped up in impressive fashion to meet their opponents. The Gamecocks held their ground and stole the ball from Olde Grey before any points were scored. Carolina used that stop as a big momentum shift and then took control of the match from there. The rest of the first half was all Gamecocks as they turned up the intensity. They scored quickly and often, putting up 36 points before halftime was called. Tries were scored both by the backline and the pack. Six tries were put down and three conversions were good. Old Grey struggled to match the Carolina effort and could not put up any points in the first half.

The second half continued with Carolina controlling the ball and pace of play. The Gamecocks really pushed hard to focus on support in all aspects of the game. As coach Ken McCarthy commented, “I can’t say anything negative. Of course we have room to improve, but our play today was outstanding. The support out there was great.” Carolina went on to score four more tries in the second half. Two players, Matt Augustine and Alex Fisher, scored their first tries on the Carolina A-Side. Olde Grey showed a small resurgence at the end of the game, taking advantage of Gamecock mistakes to score a try in the final minutes of the match. The final was 56-5.

Columbia, SC - Following the completion of his 13th year as Head coach of the Carolina Rugby program, Geoff Mason announced his retirement from the position in the Fall of 2011 and a return to the assistant coaching staff. 

Mason’s tenure included an overall record of 166 wins, 94 losses and 8 ties. Under his leadership the rugby team enjoyed five South Territory appearances, five Palmetto Tournament championships, and a promotion to South Division I, a title held by only six other universities at the time.

A native of Australia, Geoff Mason played both rugby league and rugby union for 35 years, beginning at age seven. A success on the field, he played in the New South Wales Rugby League competition for Sydney University, Newtown and Penrith in the 1970's as a prop and second row and represented Newcastle against New Zealand in 1978. From there, he emigrated to the US in 1980 and was a Player/Coach at USC from 1983-1985. Upon graduation, Mason played for the Columbia Olde Grey from 1986-1990 where he represented the South in the National All-Star Championships. In 1991, Coach Mason returned to USC where he assumed the head coaching position for four seasons, taking the team as far as the South Final Four.
 
With Coach Mason's return to USC in the spring of 2004, USC rose to new heights. Taking over a previously under-achieving Division II team, Coach Mason quickly helped the team reach the USA Rugby South Division II playoffs in 2005, 2006, and 2007. Building on this success, coupled with increased performance on the organization level, the team moved to the South's Division I. From 2008-2011 USC was continually ranked in the National Top 25 Division 1 rankings and received a bid to the South Playoffs against Arkansas State in 2010. As a result of his strong leadership of the Team, USC Rugby now boasts three sides, making it one of the largest collegiate rugby teams in the nation.

Considering Mason’s competitive nature and love for Carolina Rugby, it came as no surprise that he would stay on as an essential part of the program. “It is hard to step back from the head coaching position, but family and other commitments require it. I have been able to have positive and long lasting friendships with hundreds of players and coaches both at USC and the rugby community at large and hope I have created an ongoing love for the game among the students who have participated in our program.”

If you wish to contact Coach Mason, he can be reached by email at GJM45@SCDMH.ORG