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Return to Play!

9/1/2021

 
The Gamecocks will look to kick off more than a year of rust off Saturday when the team takes to the pitch that is named in honor of their new head coach, John Roberts.

The Cocks will play a series of shortened halves against Furman, Belmont Abbey and the Citadel. In total, the team will get about 60 minutes of time on the pitch in these controlled scrimmages.

The complete schedule is:

11:00 FU - Belmont Abbey
11:25 FU – USC
11:50 USC v Belmont Abbey
12:20 FU v Citadel
12:45 Citadel v USC
1:10 Citadel v Belmont Abbey

All games will be played on John S. Roberts Rugby Field on the Furman campus. The pitch is named in honor of USC Coach John Roberts, who coached the Furman team for nearly 20 years before stepping away in 2018.  

He joined the USC program, his alma mater, just weeks ago.

The Gamecocks are coming off a 1-4 fall 2019 campaign, finishing fourth in the Southeastern Collegiate Rugby Conference. South Carolina has had only four practices as the team and new coaching staff (including Chris Holmes and Tony Coggiola) work to become acquainted and establish new systems.

“Everyone has been drinking from a fire hose this week,” said Roberts. “We have all new coaches and a ton of new players. This will be our first opportunity to see everyone under live fire.”

He added that team enthusiasm is elevated, and the squad is anxious to get back on the field.

“Like every team, our boys are just ripping at the chance to get back on the pitch and play the game they love. It has been a long time.”

​Election Results

5/27/2021

 
Members of the Carolina Rugby Foundation have elected the following officers.

Chairman: Robert Balmer
Vice Chairman: John Hinks, Jr.
Secretary: Eric Geib
Treasurer: Micah Stewart
Sergeant at Arms: Chris Murphy

The Foundation expresses our enduring gratitude to Jeff Smolka and Phillip Rockefeller who are rotating off the Foundation board. We know they will continue to serve Carolina Rugby in other ways.
​
Lastly, we ask everyone to remember those who made the ultimate sacrifice for our freedom during this long Memorial Day weekend.

Board candidates and members
 
Over the last two weeks, the Carolina Rugby Foundation has received board nominations for chairman, vice chairman, secretary, treasurer and sergeant-at-arms. Robert Balmer, chairman of the board, and John Roberts, a special liaison to board, spoke to all nominees.

Two enthusiastically accepted their nomination. The others expressed their support for the Foundation, but wanted to serve in another capacity. Phillip Rockefeller, current secretary, has also decided to serve the Foundation in a non-office role and has stepped down from that position.

“We have spoken to each nominee and they support our efforts to energize our Foundation membership and elevate our program,” said Balmer. “We look forward to working with them in the immediate future as we lay the groundwork for an exciting announcement.”

Nominees for the positions are:

Chairman: Robert Balmer

Vice Chairman: Jeff Smolka, John Hinks, Jr.

Secretary: Eric Geib

Treasurer: Micah Stewart

Sergeant at Arms: Chris Murphy.

Profiles of these candidates are posted on the Foundation webpage.

In keeping with the by-law rules, only Foundation members (those who have made a gift since 2019) may vote in the election. According to Foundation records, the following individuals are members:

Albert Catlett
Ashe Prawl
Brian Keown
Bruce Whiteford
Chris Murphy
Carl Casper
Colin Kane
Dana Corcoran
Daniel Callahan
David Satz
Donald Conway
Garett Smith
George Geiser
George Miller
Greg Hudson
Jacqueline Keown
James Pond
James Stone
Jeff Smolka
Jennifer Honig
John Roberts
Luke Bolembach
Lyle Richards
Mark Stiles
Mark Swearingen
Michael Callahan
Michael Gorman
Michael Kerr
Owen Shearer
Paul Bell
Paul Callahan
Peter Carreon
Phillip Rockefeller
Phillip Harris
Richard Bates
Robert Balmer
Robert Bell
Ronald West
Rose Impagliazzo
Rudy Salvucci
Sarah Gauthier
Shawn Morris
Thomas Rogers
Thomas Wissing
Tim Brown
 
Members will be emailed instructions about how to vote Monday, May 17. If you have made a donation to the Foundation and are not included in the list, please contact our Treasurer Micah Stewart.

If you are not a member and would like to participate in the election, you may make your donation here.

Board to hold elections, excited for Fall season

4/23/2021

 
Members of the Carolina Rugby Foundation will have an opportunity to elect five positions to the Foundation board early next month. 

Coming off a difficult pandemic year that has limited rugby play, Robert Balmer, chair of the Foundation, said the board is laying the groundwork to execute a plan this summer that will energize alumni and transform Carolina rugby as the Gamecocks return to full-play in the fall.

Those elected to the Foundation, he said, will be the driving force behind this exciting yet-to-be announced plan.

“In the coming months, the Foundation will be calling on our collective alumni to support Carolina rugby,” said Balmer, a member of the Class of 1989. ““We want our rugby community to submit nominees for these offices. We need folks who are willing to commit their time and treasure to the University of South Carolina men’s rugby program.”

Most recently, Geoff Mason stepped down as board chair to pursue other rugby interests. Robert Balmer, a financial advisor has been serving as acting chair since Mason’s departure. Other members of the current board include: 

Chairman: Robert Balmer
Vice Chairman: Jeff Smolka
Secretary: Phillip Rockefeller
Treasurer: Micah Stewart
Sergeant at Arms: Chris Murphy

Each position and corresponding job responsibilities are posted in the by laws. According to these laws any member of the University of South Carolina rugby community may submit a nomination. Only members of the Carolina Rugby Foundation (those who have made a gift to Foundation during the past year) may vote on the nominations.

If you would like to become a voting member and have not made a gift, you may do so by visiting this site and make your gift before May 2.

If you would like to nominate a candidate, please send the nominee’s name, positions you are nominating him/her for and the nominee’s contact information by visiting this page by May 2.

All nominees will be notified on May 2 and have five days to reject or accept the nomination. Voting will held through electronic mail on May 10-11, with the winners declared May 12.

Chris Murphy, a member of the Class of 1991, the Foundation’s Sergeant at Arms and an operating partner at Luminate Capital Partners said the Foundation is laying the groundwork to galvanize Carolina Rugby Alumni as the Gamecocks return to full play in the Fall.
​
“Given the impact of the pandemic, the past year has been challenging for Carolina Rugby,” he said. “The Carolina Rugby Foundation is now focused on implementing a plan to create a significant amount of momentum going into the Fall 2021 season. There is so much exciting detail that will be shared in the coming months, but first we need your help by nominating energetic board candidates, completing our contact form and making a gift to Carolina rugby.”

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