About Carolina Rugby
Founded in 1967, Men's Rugby at the University of South Carolina is the oldest club sport at USC, boasting a long and distinguished record of success. Carolina was invited two years in a row to the National Collegiate Rugby Championships in 1972 and 1973, and was the first collegiate team in the South to host an international side with back-to-back wins against the Royal Marines in 1973. In 2007, the team was promoted to USA Rugby Division 1 and has demonstrated its national notoriety with proud annual showings in the National Top 25 collegiate rankings. When compared to all other NCAA sports on campus, the South Carolina Men’s Rugby program has the highest winning percentage of more than 80%.
Starting in the fall of 2011, South Carolina began competing in the newly-revised Southeastern Collegiate Rugby Conference with some of the nation’s most competitive teams, recently winning back-to-back 7's & 15's championships and receiving bids to the USA Rugby National Playoffs. In addition to scheduled matches, South Carolina competes in a number of tournaments including the USA Rugby Collegiate 7's Championship, the Penn Mutual CRC 7's Invitational, the Southeastern Olympic 7s Tournament, and the Palmetto State Tournament, which the team has won more times than any other team in South Carolina. Several team members are also annually selected to the USA Rugby South select side and the former Palmetto Rugby Union Collegiate All-Star team. The Gamecocks have received Southeastern Rugby Player of the Year honors 5 times and Coach of the Year honors 3 times since 2011.
With the direction of several dedicated USA Rugby certified coaches, South Carolina not only teaches the love of the game, but also the many skills and techniques that are necessary to compete. Despite the emphasis on high performance, the team continues to maintain a policy that everyone has the opportunity to play regardless of ability, a philosophy which enables them to sustain a roster of 60+ players and field three sides on any given game weekend, the only program in the Southeastern Collegiate Rugby Conference that has the ability to do so. In fact, in 2009, South Carolina boasted the 3rd largest program in the nation based on USA Rugby registration. The Palmetto Development side currently competes against Division II & III programs with its own schedule and coaching staff.
The Men's Rugby Team is a proud tenant of the Proving Grounds @ Bluff Road, and we also have three additional pitches (Strom, Blatt, & Greene) on which we practice and play when necessary. Opened in spring of 2017, Carolina Rugby is proud to call this pitch home for many years to come.
The South Carolina alumni, the Carolina Olde Boys, are among some of the most dedicated in the nation, with many donating both time and money to continue to support the team that taught them the game they love. C.O.B. members regularly attend USC home matches, including the team's annual affair with Clemson, and are generally very supportive of the the team through the purchasing of new equipment and providing assistance when necessary to fund the team's playoff runs. Each fall, C.O.B. members trek back to Columbia to take on USC in the annual alumni game and to recall the many stories of their college years. In 2017, the team celebrated its 50th Anniversary in style, with over 100 participants in the weekend's activities.
The Men's Rugby Team at the University of South Carolina regularly participates in various philanthropic activities through the school year and beyond. Their commitment to growing the game, as well as our community, is a testament to the character and values instilled in the players and the program. On campus, the Men's Rugby Team is a regular partner with the annual Carolina-Clemson Blood Drive, wherein they assist the American Red Cross in its on-campus operation. The team also regularly works with the South Carolina High School Rugby league, as the league's founder and several of its coaches are among its alumni. Beginning in 2010, Carolina Rugby began supporting the American Cancer Society with its annual Relay for Life walk at USC. Through donations, auctions, and ground support, the rugby team looks to honor all those who have lost their fight with cancer, as well as show unconditional support to those who are still fighting today.
If you require additional information, or if you like to arrange a visit during the season, you may contact us directly.
Starting in the fall of 2011, South Carolina began competing in the newly-revised Southeastern Collegiate Rugby Conference with some of the nation’s most competitive teams, recently winning back-to-back 7's & 15's championships and receiving bids to the USA Rugby National Playoffs. In addition to scheduled matches, South Carolina competes in a number of tournaments including the USA Rugby Collegiate 7's Championship, the Penn Mutual CRC 7's Invitational, the Southeastern Olympic 7s Tournament, and the Palmetto State Tournament, which the team has won more times than any other team in South Carolina. Several team members are also annually selected to the USA Rugby South select side and the former Palmetto Rugby Union Collegiate All-Star team. The Gamecocks have received Southeastern Rugby Player of the Year honors 5 times and Coach of the Year honors 3 times since 2011.
With the direction of several dedicated USA Rugby certified coaches, South Carolina not only teaches the love of the game, but also the many skills and techniques that are necessary to compete. Despite the emphasis on high performance, the team continues to maintain a policy that everyone has the opportunity to play regardless of ability, a philosophy which enables them to sustain a roster of 60+ players and field three sides on any given game weekend, the only program in the Southeastern Collegiate Rugby Conference that has the ability to do so. In fact, in 2009, South Carolina boasted the 3rd largest program in the nation based on USA Rugby registration. The Palmetto Development side currently competes against Division II & III programs with its own schedule and coaching staff.
The Men's Rugby Team is a proud tenant of the Proving Grounds @ Bluff Road, and we also have three additional pitches (Strom, Blatt, & Greene) on which we practice and play when necessary. Opened in spring of 2017, Carolina Rugby is proud to call this pitch home for many years to come.
The South Carolina alumni, the Carolina Olde Boys, are among some of the most dedicated in the nation, with many donating both time and money to continue to support the team that taught them the game they love. C.O.B. members regularly attend USC home matches, including the team's annual affair with Clemson, and are generally very supportive of the the team through the purchasing of new equipment and providing assistance when necessary to fund the team's playoff runs. Each fall, C.O.B. members trek back to Columbia to take on USC in the annual alumni game and to recall the many stories of their college years. In 2017, the team celebrated its 50th Anniversary in style, with over 100 participants in the weekend's activities.
The Men's Rugby Team at the University of South Carolina regularly participates in various philanthropic activities through the school year and beyond. Their commitment to growing the game, as well as our community, is a testament to the character and values instilled in the players and the program. On campus, the Men's Rugby Team is a regular partner with the annual Carolina-Clemson Blood Drive, wherein they assist the American Red Cross in its on-campus operation. The team also regularly works with the South Carolina High School Rugby league, as the league's founder and several of its coaches are among its alumni. Beginning in 2010, Carolina Rugby began supporting the American Cancer Society with its annual Relay for Life walk at USC. Through donations, auctions, and ground support, the rugby team looks to honor all those who have lost their fight with cancer, as well as show unconditional support to those who are still fighting today.
If you require additional information, or if you like to arrange a visit during the season, you may contact us directly.
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