Columbia, SC –
The Men's Rugby Club at the University
of South Carolina regularly participates
in various philanthropic activities
throughout the school-year and beyond.
Our commitment to growing the game, as
well as our community, is a testament to
the character and values instilled in
our players and our program.
On campus, the Men's Rugby Club is a
regular partner with the annual
Carolina-Clemson Blood Drive,
wherein we assist the American Red
Cross in its on-campus operation.
This year's blood drive was the most
successful in the 25 year history of the
event. Over 4,542 pints of blood were
collected, far surpassing Clemson's
3,480. Our rugby club participated in
numerous ways, whether donating a total
of 27 pints, or spending time to break
down the blood drive on its final night
of collecting donations.
Each year at Christmas time, USC
participates in the Grunk 7’s Rugby
Tournament sponsored by Columbia
Olde Grey. Each team represented pays an
entry fee, 50% of which is donated to
disadvantaged youth in the Columbia
area. Additionally, participants are
encouraged to donate toys on the day of
the event to help these children have a
memorable Christmas.
In November, we had an incredible
opportunity when we were contacted by
the Ronald McDonald House Charities
of Columbia to participate in
“McHappy Day.” Volunteer USC ruggers
spent the afternoon assisting in the
operations of a busy, downtown
McDonalds. Player James Jacobs claims,
“Knowing that we were working for the
greater good really made me appreciate
what I have and motivated me to keep
working hard.” Alexandra Nicyper,
Special Events Coordinator for the
Ronald McDonald House stated, “It
is truly through the kindness and
generosity of community members like you
that we have, for 26 years, lightened
the load for families that have needed
our services.” Ms. Nicyper issued us a
letter of gratitude for our commitment
to volunteer service that you may view
by clicking here.
Another philanthropic activity in
November was participation in Kappa
Kickoff on campus. USC Men’s Rugby
fielded two teams for the annual flag
football tournament put on by Kappa
Kappa Gamma sorority. Proceeds from the
tournament go to Kappa’s national
philanthropy, Reading Is Fundamental (RIF).
One of our teams made it to the
semi-finals and played with just as much
heart as on the pitch. Kappa Kappa
Gamma’s representatives praised our
involvement by stating, “We are so
grateful for the involvement of the USC
Men’s Rugby Team. You were the only
organization to have two full teams in
our tournament, and brought quite a
crowd of spectators with you! Our cold
and rainy day was turned around due to
your contribution to Kickoff and we are
indebted to the rugby men for taking
part in something that means so much to
not only our chapter, but to our
sorority on the national level.”
Last year, USA Rugby vowed its
commitment to establishing a Rookie
Rugby program aimed towards
promoting rugby at a younger age. South
Carolina has moved to the forefront in
instituting the framework for this new
program, led by our very own Jeff Smolka.
USC Men’s Rugby has pledged to donate a
ball kit to the South Carolina Youth
Rugby League, which will be used by
Midlands elementary and middle schools
to incorporate rugby fundamentals into
their PE curriculum. Men’s Rugby has
also supported numerous promotional
events to include SHAW Youth Day,
held at Sumter’s SHAW Air Force Base, in
which Rookie Rugby was one of the
exhibits used to promote health and
wellness amongst local youth. Our
investment into Rookie Rugby exposes
citizens to the game, as well as
prepares future ruggers for collegiate
play. Additionally, assisting in the
program for elementary and middle school
programs will assist us in recruiting
players who may very well have 10+ years
of rugby experience.
The club also regularly works with the
South Carolina High School Rugby
league, as the league's founder and
several of its coaches are among our
alumni. Additionally, our club assisted
at the first-ever (2007) SCHSR Jamboree
and Training Camp here in Columbia.
Throughout the 2009 season, Men’s Rugby
hosted several SCHSR matches, providing
fields, facilities, equipment, referees,
and “Man of the Match” awards for
outstanding players both on and off the
pitch. In the summer of 2009, USC began
a tradition of sponsoring a local U19
Sevens squad, with the side victorious
in numerous tournaments around the
Southeast. This annual involvement has
not only increased the awareness of the
sport of rugby throughout the state of
South Carolina, it has also promoted USC
Men’s Rugby as one of the premier Rugby
programs in the South today.
Our team fulfills its philanthropic
interests each semester and continues to
add more events as our club becomes
larger. Participating in charitable
events enables our young men to give
back to the community in which they
live, and we believe that altruism leads
to a better sportsmanlike attitude on
the pitch. When all is said and done at
the conclusion of a match, and
competitive natures subside, we have the
benevolence of our fellow team mates to
hold us in higher esteem in the
community due in part to participation
in events such as the Carolina-Clemson
Blood Drive, the Grunk 7’s Tournament,
and the Rookie and High School Leagues
in our state. We intend to continue with
these programs and look for more
opportunities to expand our community
involvement in the future.
Attached:
Thank You Letter
from Ronald McDonald House Charities of
Columbia
___
The next home match for the Gamecocks
will be Saturday, January 23rd, at 1:00
PM on USC's
STWFC Rugby Field. Carolina will be taking on the Wake Forest Demon Deacons in
their inaugural
Carolinas Rugby
League match, and both A & B
sides will be actively competing to
finish atop the standings. The Carolinas
Rugby League is USC's new spring matrix,
and consists of the top 7 clubs in North
and South Carolina, including USC, Wake
Forest, Clemson, North Carolina,
Appalachian State University, North
Carolina State University, and East
Carolina University. As the league is a
mixture of Division I and Division II
competition, it will send its top DI
school into the South DI Final Four and
its top two DII clubs to the South DII
Quarter-Finals. The CRL will be naming
its own all-star team, as selected by
coaches and referees, and will reward
the top club with its own trophy at the
end of each season. The brainchild of
former UNC head coach Andy Richards, the
league is intended to limit regional
clubs' travel time while promoting local
growth through rivaled competition.
This Fall,
USC 'A' finished with an overall record of 14-3 for
its Fall season, with the team never
having lost a non-tournament
full-regulation affair (the club lost
twice at
Rucktoberfest
and once in the
SEC Tournament).
One of those losses came at the hands of
#6 Louisiana State University, and the
other two were both avenged in a
full-regulation match in Columbia, with
the Gamecocks defeating AHO [Appalachian
State] on November 7th
(24-08), and N.C. State on October 17th
(19-07).
The club also finished the fall
undefeated at home, and USC 'B'
finished 5-2-1 (9-2-1 if you consider it
was the 'B' side that powered Carolina
to the 2009 Palmetto Collegiate Cup
Championship), also going undefeated at
home. USC 'B' was also the 2009
Rucktoberfest Second Division Champions.
The Gamecocks Palmetto ('C') side will
play in USA Rugby South's Division III
competition, taking on Furman, College
of Charleston, The Citadel, Coastal
Carolina, Lander, and Armstrong Atlantic
State in the Palmetto League - a brutal
conference that has produced the last 7
South Championships while capturing 6 of
the last 7 Division III National
Championships. Such competition will do
wonders for the continued growth and
success of USC rugby, as participation
in last year's league is a large factor
behind USC's dominant run in Fall 2009.
The University of South Carolina is the
only school in all of USA Rugby South to
operate 3 full sides in South matrix
competition, with USC A and B
participating in USA Rugby Division I.
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