Clemson University is a public university located in the campus town of Clemson, South Carolina. Situated near Lake Hartwell and the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains, the campus sits on 1,400 sprawling acres. Clemson consists of seven colleges including the College of Agriculture, Forestry, and Life Sciences; College of Architecture, Arts and Humanities; College of Behavioral, Social and Health Sciences; College of Business; College of Education; College of Engineering, Computing and Applied Sciences; and College of Science. Clemson continually ranks high among top public universities. According to U.S. News and World Report, in 2020, Clemson tied for 27th among all national public universities. In addition to their top-tier education, Clemson also strives to make its campus feel like a “home away from home”. With great housing, dining, transportation, health services, and other activities and clubs, students report a strong campus community. Known for its winning sports teams, school spirit is high among the students. In addition to its varsity programs, Clemson offers a wide variety of intramural sports. Go Tigers!
Men’s Rugby
Clemson Men’s Rugby is entering a new and exciting era! Troy Hall joins Clemson as the head coach having previously been the head coach at Oregon State. As a former USA Eagle player with a background in health and wellness, Troy brings extensive experience and knowledge to the team. Clemson is also a new member of the Southeastern Collegiate Rugby Conference (SCRC). With this change, the team will now play more matches closer to home and against well-known rival schools.
The men’s team aims to balance competition with fun. With a big focus on the player as a whole, the team creates an environment where players have the best possible chance to perform on the field while also being healthy and happy off the field. The team practices three evenings per week which includes a rotating strength and conditioning schedule, watching film, and having access to an athletic trainer. They also have access to their very own full-sized grass rugby field. Having their own field allows Clemson Rugby and the Clemson Rugby Foundation to better engage with the community, as well as host youth and high school camps, clinics, and tournaments throughout the year!
Women’s Rugby
The Women’s Rugby team originally started in 1976 when female fans of the men’s team wanted a team of their own. It was called the Rugby Booster’s Club and was officially part of the men’s club until the Spring of 1977, but folded in 1982 due to lack of funding. The team started up again in the fall of 1995 and quickly established itself as the strong competitor they are known as today. Beginning in the 2020-2021 season, the women’s team will be a member of the new South Atlantic Rugby Conference. Head coach, Marty Sarkees, has been a crucial component in the development of the squad. Since he joined as head coach, the team has consistently finished with a winning record.
The Clemson Women’s Rugby team has seen success with the 7’s side against teams from across the country. In the Las Vegas Invitational in 2019, the team finished as Bowl Champions and had big wins over teams like Iowa, Arizona, New Mexico State, Utah Valley, and St. Mary’s. In addition, the team finished third in the Blue Ridge Conference in 2019-2020. The women’s team is very committed to succeed. They hold practices three to four times per week, with the intent to develop skills and to beat every opponent by playing to their strengths. Because it is a club sport, the team puts in fewer hours than varsity sports on campus. However, being a club sport allows the players more time to spend on academics and other interests. The team has consistently finished each semester with a collective GPA over 3.0.
SOCIAL MEDIA
Clemson Men’s Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/clemsonrugby/
Clemson Men’s Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ClemsonRugby/
Clemson Men’s Website: https://www.clemsonrugby.com/
Clemson Women’s Website: https://www.clemsonwomensrugby.org/
CONTACT INFO: mrugby@clemson.edu
Information edited from the Clemson University website, Clemson University’s rugby websites, and US News World Report.