Columbia, SC – For the second
week in a row, weather conditions forced
cancellations for the USC Men’s Rugby
Club and its Division I A and B sides.
This week, USC was set to take on rival
Appalachian State University (AHO), but
snow in Boone, NC prohibited them from
making the trip down. Nevertheless,
USC’s Palmetto (C) side played their
second match in as many weeks, locking
up with College of Charleston’s A side.
CofC was in the driver seat for most of
the game, as USC’s young C side
struggled to moved the ball
consistently. The first half yielded a
score of 12-00, which was somewhat of a
success for USC given the fact that
strong winds were in CofC’s favor.
The outcome of the second half, however,
was all CofC. USC moved the ball inside
the 40 a few times, but couldn’t put up
points to show for it. Overall, the
game was fought hard by both teams and
the overall mood is strong among C side
players. Head Coach Mark Morris had
positive and negatives feelings after
the loss:
“I thought we played a solid first half,
allowing a good team to only 12 points
with the wind in our faces. The second
half was disappointing [though], to say
the least. College of Charleston is a
solid team and they showed it in that
half.”
USC is one of a select group of clubs
able to field three full rugby sides,
and the only team to successfully do so
in league play in USA Rugby South. The C
side competes in the Division III
Palmetto League, which is one of the
toughest in the nation. Teams in
Palmetto have captured the last seven
consecutive South DIII titles, and 4 of
the past 7 national championships.
The availability of the C side allows
players to develop and sharpen their
skills in hopes of moving up to the A
and B sides which compete against
Division I clubs. It also reinforces the
club’s strong commitment to sharing the
game of rugby with all who are
interested, while providing a
competitive series of league matches to
attach importance to on-field results.
Next Saturday, February 13, USC’s
20th-ranked A and B sides will travel to
Raleigh, NC
to take on NC State University in
Carolinas League
play. In Columbia, USC C will host
Coastal Carolina University, the 2009
DIII National Champions, on the
Blatt P.E. Center
Field. The A side
will look to extend their winning streak
in the first year of the Carolinas Rugby
League, while the B and C sides will be
looking to win their first game of the
spring.
___
|
Palmetto League
Standings |
|
|
|
|
Record |
|
|
Bonus |
|
|
Team |
Div |
GP |
W |
L |
T |
PF |
PA |
+4 |
-7 |
POINTS |
|
College of Charleston |
III |
02 |
02 |
00 |
00 |
054 |
007 |
01 |
00 |
09 |
|
Furman University
|
III |
02 |
02 |
00 |
00 |
040 |
012 |
01 |
00 |
09 |
|
Coastal Carolina University
|
III |
01 |
01 |
00 |
00 |
067 |
006 |
01 |
00 |
05 |
|
Citadel Military Academy |
III |
01 |
00 |
01 |
00 |
012 |
013 |
00 |
01 |
01 |
|
University of South
Carolina C |
N/A |
02 |
00 |
02 |
00 |
000 |
066 |
00 |
00 |
00 |
|
Armstrong Atlantic State
Univ. |
III |
02 |
00 |
02 |
00 |
013 |
082 |
00 |
01 |
00 |
___
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.
The Gamecocks Palmetto ('C') side is
playing in USA Rugby South's Division III
competition, taking on Furman, College
of Charleston, The Citadel, Coastal
Carolina, and Armstrong Atlantic State
in the Palmetto League - a brutal
conference that has produced the last 7
South Championships while capturing 4 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. |
|
