12/09/2015, 5:30pm ESTBy SCRC

The 2015 SCRC All Conference awards for the fall 15s season have been announced. This year’s competition saw much improvement over the course of the season with some teams taking major steps forward in their performance. Overall the level of play was much improved and it showed in competitive matches from top to bottom. The conference would like to thank all teams, players, coaches, club sports administrators, referees, volunteers, and fans for making this year a success. 

All Conference
First Team, Second Team and Honorable Mention awards were announced with 43 players from 10 schools making the list.  See full list below.

2015 SCRC Player of the Year
Matt Schick – University of Alabama
Alabama’s Matt Schick has been named 2015 15’s SCRC Player of the Year. The senior #8 from Alabama had an outstanding season and was instrumental in Alabama’s undefeated West Division Championship.

2015 SCRC Coach of the Year
Marty Bradley – University of Tennessee
Coach Bradley has been named SCRC 15’s Coach of the Year. Coach Bradley and his staff led the Vols in a fantastic fall season that included a East Division Championship and a perfect 9-0 season. Coach Bradley, in his 19th season as a coach with the Volunteers, directed Tennessee back to the playoffs and was rewarded with the 2015 SCRC title.

SCRC First Team

Prop – Obum Imonugo (Georgia)
Hooker – Logan McNeil ( Tennessee)
Prop – Collin Thul (Tennessee)
Lock – Kerry Roberts (Tennessee)
Lock – Sam Brennan (South Carolina)
Flanker – Dan Corcoran (South Carolina)
Flanker – Caleb Canter (Kentucky)
#8 – Matt Schick (Alabama)
Scrumhalf – Brian Keown (South Carolina)
Flyhalf – Nick Duklewski (Tennessee)
Center – Ross Depperschmidt (Alabama)
Center – Dylan Turner (Mississippi)
Wing – James Whipper (South Carolina)
Wing – Andrew Sayers (Tennessee)
Fullback – Tim Hamill (South Carolina)

SCRC Second Team

Prop – Nathan Driggers (Georgia)
Hooker – Matthew Lund (Alabama)
Prop – Jake Murphy (Tennessee)
Lock – Jacob Mattrella (Auburn)
Lock – Jack Donlon (Tennessee)
Flanker – Kyle Peterson (Kentucky)
Flanker – Zach Carmello (Alabama)
#8 – Mike Mahon (South Carolina)
Scrumhalf – Jordan Speights (Mississippi State)
Flyhalf – CJ Leadingham (Kentucky)
Center – Nick Magnella (Auburn)
Center – Ekene Ray Nkem (Vanderbilt)
Wing – Stephen Beckerle (Florida)
Wing – Terrance Matthews (Mississippi State)
Fullback – Naoki Kawahara (Alabama)

SCRC Honorable Mention

Ben Mathers (South Carolina)
James Davidson (Georgia)
Zach Mullineaux (South Carolina)
Brendan Follington (Tennessee)
Xavier May (Georgia)
Nichole Tomas (Mississippi)
Kyle Burnett (Florida)
Michael Rudzinsky (South Carolina)
Bobby Hughes (Tennessee)
Christain Harrell (South Carolina)
Omar McClendon (Mississippi State)
Nick Lewis (Kentucky)
 

12/09/2015, 1:15pm ESTBy SCRC

Tennessee defeated South Carolina 23-22 on the final play of the game to earn the 2015 Southeastern Collegiate Rugby Conference Championship. The title match was played at the Rugby Athletic Complex in Charlotte, North Carolina as part of the American Collegiate Rugby Championship Bowl Series.  

South Carolina advanced to the final with a victory over Alabama in Tuscaloosa. Trailing 17-8 at the break the Gamecocks adjusted to a wider game plan to score four second half tries for the 34-27 win.

Tennessee defeated Florida in Knoxville to earn a trip to the championship game. In the second half the Volunteers extended a 20-13 halftime lead by two tries and held the Gators out of the try zone to account for the 30-13 final score.

Game Summary

Game summary provided by ACRC 

5 min: 
Try – University of South Carolina
USC on the board with a try from Dana Corcoran 5-0 Gamococks

14 min: 
Penalty Kick by Andrew Sayers – University of Tennessee
Tennessee on the board. 5-3

21 min: 
Penalty Kick by Andrew Sayers –  University of Tennessee
Tennessee gets another three to pull ahead of the Gamecocks 6-5

24 min: 
Try by Ben Mather; CK by Brian McKeown – University of South Carolina
Try and conversion for USC puts the Gamecocks back ahead 10-6

29 min: 
Try by Kerry Roberts – University of Tennessee
Vols score first try but do not convert – score now 12-11

38 min: 
Try by Nick Duklewski; CK by Sayers – University of Tennessee
Tennessee brings it across for another try; conversion good – 18-12 Vols

40 min: 
Try – University of South Carolina
Gamecocks get try at tail end of the half but do not convert – score now 18-17 Vols up

55 min: 
Try – University of South Carolina
South Carolina dots one down to regain the lead – 22-18 Gamecocks.

70 min:
South Carolina has been keeping the ball in Vols territory most of the half. A real defensive battle.

79 min: 
Try – University of Tennessee
Vols’ Kerry Roberts pounds his way across the try line to put Tennessee back ahead in a hugely dramatic final drive – 23-22

80 min: 
An INCREDIBLE finish to the SCRC Championship game – Tennessee manages to get downfield in the final minutes and eventually pounds their way through a determined USC line to snatch victory. Raucous Gamecock fans silenced in disbelief as Tennessee claims the championship.

East Division

West Division

10/22/2015, 9:45am EDTBy MTB

ACRC will host and stream contest live

The Southeastern Collegiate Rugby Conference has reached a tentative agreement for the championship game to be played during the American Collegiate Rugby Championship Bowl Series in Charlotte, North Carolina on November 21.

The kickoff has been tentatively set for 4 PM and will be played at Charlotte’s Rugby Athletic Center. The state-of-the-art Rugby Athletic Center features well-lit fields, locker rooms, modern facilities and meeting rooms. Food, concessions and souvenirs will be available on site.

The ACRC Bowl Series features nine collegiate bowl games over two days. Teams committed to attend include conference champions from across the US along with many othe top level Division 1 teams.

 The ACRC will live stream the event so fans and supporters from across the US and the world won’t miss any of the action.

05/11/2015, 8:30am EDTBy MTB

Bama headed to CRC; Mississippi State headed to USAR National Championship

April 18 – SCRC Championship – Knoxville, TN

Alabama defeated Mississippi State 24-14 to cap a near perfect day of rugby and captured the 2015 Southeastern Collegiate Rugby Conference Olympic Rugby Championship.  

Alabama defeated Tennessee and Auburn while tying Florida to complete pool play undefeated.  Mississippi state went 3-0 with victories over LSU, Georgia and tournament favorite South Carolina.

In the semifinal round, the Crimson Tide defeated South Carolina 22-21 while the Bulldogs bested Tennessee 14-10.  

SCRC Championship

Shield Championship
Florida 22, Auburn 17

Bowl Championship
Georgia 19, LSU 17

Plate Championship
South Carolina 19, Tennessee 15

Cup Championship
Alabama 24, Mississippi State 14

2015 Final Standings

1. Alabama
2. Mississippi State
3. South Carolina
4. Tennessee
5. Georgia
6. LSU
7. Florida
8. Auburn
9. Vanderbilt
10. Ole Miss

05/11/2015, 9:30am EDTBy MTB

Changes and improvements included in newly released schedule

The 2015 SCRC 15s championship competition schedule has been released and includes some significant changes.

Divisional Format

SCRC teams will continue to play in the divisional format but some but some changes were required due to the fact that LSU has decided to pursue a different conference alignment for 15s.Beginning this fall, LSU will be competing in the Red River Conference for 15s but will continue to maintain a associate membership with the Southeastern Collegiate Rugby Conference to retain other services.

To balance the number of teams in each division, Florida has agreed to move to the West and will compete in that division this fall.  And, each conference team now has two cross over matches.

Additionally, the conference has moved away from the two games in one weekend format to determine a conference champion.  At the conclusion of the regular season the #2 seed from each division will travel to the #1 seed of the other division.  Then, the following weekend the winner will meet at a location yet to be determined for the conference championship final.

East Division
South Carolina
Tennessee
Kentucky
Georgia 
Vanderbilt

West Division
Alabama
Mississippi State
Auburn
Ole MIss
Florida

Playoffs
Semifinal: November 14
Final: November 21

Schedule work product

Fall 2015 Regular Season

September 12
Auburn @ Alabama – postponed
South Carolina @ Georgia (USC 43, UGA 8)
Vanderbilt @ Ole MIss (UM 43, VU 21)

September 19
Alabama @ Ole Miss
Auburn @ Tennessee
Mississippi State @ Florida
Vanderbilt @ Georgia
Kentucky @ South Carolina

September 26
Florida @ Georgia
Ole Miss @ Mississippi State
Vanderbilt @ Tennessee

October 03
Florida @ Alabama
Tennessee @ Kentucky
South Carolina @ Vanderbilt

October 10
Alabama @ Vanderbilt
Auburn @ Florida
Georgia @ Mississippi State
Ole Miss @ Kentucky

October 17
Kentucky @ Alabama
South Carolina @ Auburn
Tennessee @ Florida

October 24
Mississippi State @ Auburn
Georgia @ Tennessee

October 31
Alabama @ Mississippi State
Florida @ Ole Miss
Kentucky @ Vanderbilt
Tennessee @ South Carolina

November 07
Ole Miss @ Auburn
Georgia @ Kentucky
Mississippi State @ South Carolina

05/10/2015, 8:45am EDTBy MTB

Top 8 seeds meet in Knoxville to determine champion

8 teams advance to championship

SCRC – Gainesville

Event Date: 3/21/2015

Order of Finish

1. University of South Carolina
2. University of Tennessee
3. University of Florida
4. University of Alabama
5. Auburn University
6. University of Georgia
7. Vanderbilt University 
8. Mississippi State University
9. University of Mississippi

SCRC – Tuscaloosa

Event Date: 3/28/2015

Order of finish

1. University of South Carolina
2. University of Tennessee
3. Louisiana State University
4. University of Alabama
5. Mississippi State University
6. University of Florida
7. Vanderbilt University
8. Auburn University
9. University of Georgia

SCRC – Tupelo

Event Date: 4/11/2015

Order of Finish

1. University of South Carolina
2. University of Florida
3. Mississippi State University
4. University of Alabama
5. Louisiana State University
6. University of Tennessee
7. University of Georgia
8. University of Mississippi
9. Auburn University

01/15/2015, 2:30pm ESTBy MTB

8 SCRC teams will advance to the championship event on April 18

April 18, 2015
Tennessee Rugby Park
Knoxville, TN

Eight (8) teams shall be eligible to compete in the SCRC Olympic Rugby Championship.  Teams shall earn points based on participation and results of the Sevens Series events. 15 pts shall be awarded to the highest finishing SCRC team, 14 to the second highest finishing team, etc. The best finishes from two events will be used to determine the point total for the teams. Any tie in points will be broken through evaluation of the finishes. The top eight (8) teams shall advance to the SCRC Championship Tournament on April 18.

Rank Determination
1. Total points from two tournaments
2. Single highest finish
3. Head to head record during the three events
4. Point differential of the head to head contests

Team must be compliant with USA Collegiate Eligibility Regulations and must forward eligibility documentation prior to the event. The conference must have a completed collegiate eligibility player form on file that has a spring semester date. Errors or omissions on this document could jeopardize eligibility of the entire team.  Prior to the first match of the day, a 15 man roster must be submitted with accompanying photo ID to verify each participant.

Teams are divided into two pools of four teams, who play a round-robin within the pool. Points are awarded in each pool on a different schedule from most rugby tournaments—3 for a win, 2 for a draw, 1 for a loss, 0 for a no-show. In case teams are tied after pool play, the tiebreakers are:

1.   Head-to-head result between the tied teams.

2.   Difference in points scored and allowed during pool play.

3.   Difference in tries scored and allowed during pool play.

4.   Points scored during pool play.

5.   Coin toss.

Four trophies are awarded in the championship tournament. In descending order of prestige, they are the Cup, whose winner is the overall tournament champion, Plate, Bowl and Shield.

Pools
A – 1, 4, 5, 8
B – 2, 3, 6, 7

Schedule

9:00 AM               1 v 8
9:30 AM               4 v 5
10:00 AM             2 v 7
10:30 AM             3 v 6
11:00 AM             1 v 4
11:30 AM             5 v 8
12:00 PM             2 v 3
12:30 PM             6 v 7
1:00 PM                1 v 5
1:30 PM                4 v 8
2:00 PM                2 v 6
2:30 PM                3 v 7
3:30 PM                Bowl SF                 Bowl SF (2 fields in use)
4:00 PM                Cup SF                  Cup SF (2 fields in use)
4:30 PM                Shield Championship (losers of Bowl SF – 7th and 8th)
5:00 PM                Bowl Championship (winners of Bowl SF – 5th and 6th)
5:30 PM                Plate Championship (losers of Cup SF – 3rd and 4th)
6:00 PM                Cup Final (winners of Cup SF – 1st and 2nd)
Sunset: 8:12 PM               

01/15/2015, 3:00pm ESTBy MTB

Maximum of 16 teams to compete in each event

For each tournament, there will be a maximum of 16 teams divided into four pools of up to four teams, who play a round-robin within the pool. Points are awarded in each pool on a different schedule from most rugby tournaments—3 for a win, 2 for a draw, 1 for a loss, 0 for a no-show. In case teams are tied after pool play, the tiebreakers are:

1.   Head-to-head result between the tied teams.

2.   Difference in points scored and allowed during pool play.

3.   Difference in tries scored and allowed during pool play.

4.   Points scored during pool play.

5.   Coin toss.

Pools will be created so that SCRC teams are evenly distributed throughout the event and seeded based on 2014 sevens results.  Non-SCRC teams will be placed in pools based on division and historical strength. 

Four trophies are awarded in each tournament. In descending order of prestige, they are the Cup, whose winner is the overall tournament champion, Plate, Bowl and Shield.

A consolation match will be conducted between the losing semifinalists in each tournament division.

Final Standings shall be as follows (* indicates trophy presented):

1. Cup Winner *
2. Cup Finalist *
3. Cup Consolation Winner *
4. Cup Consolation Finalist
5. Plate Winner *
6. Plate Finalist
7. Plate Consolation Winner
8. Plate Consolation Finalist
9. Bowl Winner *
10. Bowl Finalist
11. Bowl Consolation Winner
12. Bowl Consolation Finalist
13. Shield Winner *
14. Shield Finalist
15. Shield Consolation Winner
16. Shield Consolation Finalist

Sample Schedule

9:00 AM               A1 v A4                 B1 v B4
9:25 AM               A2 v A3                 B2 v B3
9:50 AM               C1 v C4                  D1 v D4
10:15 AM             C2 v C3                  D2 v D3
10:40 AM             A1 v A3                 B1 v B3
11:05 AM             A2 v A4                 B2 v B4
11:30 AM             C1 v C3                  D1 v D3
11:55 AM             C2 v C4                  D2 v D4
12:20 PM             A1 v A2                 B1 v B2
12:45 PM             A3 v A4                 B3 v B4
1:10 PM                C1 v C2                 D1 v D2
1:35 PM                C3 v C4                 D3 v D4

3:00 PM                Shield SF              Shield SF
3:25 PM                Bowl SF                Bowl SF
3:50 PM                Plate SF                Plate SF
4:15 PM                Cup SF                  Cup SF
4:40 PM                Shield Final         Shield Consolation
5:05 PM                Bowl Final            Bowl Consolation
5:30 PM                Plate Final           Plate Consolation
6:00 PM                Cup Final              Cup Consolation
                                                                                                        

01/15/2015, 3:15pm ESTBy MTB

Three championship level tournaments for college rugby

Overview
The SCRC will host three (3) Sevens Series Championship events plus a final SCRC Championship Tournament.  While open to any interested collegiate program, the Sevens Series tournaments will also serve as a qualifying event for the SCRC Championship Tournament. Entry fee for the Sevens Series events shall be $250 and must be paid 5 days in advance.  There is no entry fee for the SCRC Championship Tournament.

Schedule
March 21 – Gainesville, FL
March 28 – Tuscaloosa, AL
April 11 – Tupelo, MS
April 18 – SCRC Championship – Knoxville, TN

Team Qualifications
Participating teams must be recognized collegiate teams (of any division) that are fully registered and in good standing with USA Rugby and their affiliated conference. Only SCRC teams shall qualify for the final SCRC Championship Tournament on April 18. A SCRC team may enter a second team in the event if space allows but this team shall not be eligible to earn championship points.

Sevens Series Event Details
A maximum of 16 teams shall be registered in a one day event with a maximum of 5 games.

Registration
Teams must register at the SCRC website and all registrations must be received 5 days prior to the event.  No team shall be allowed to register the day of the event.

Format
Teams will be divided into 4 pools with round robin play and then teams shall emerge into a semifinal round based on results. Championship brackets shall be Cup, Plate, Bowl and Shield. Consolation games should be played in each bracket to insure a ranking can be tabulated for the tournament.  Event seeding, formatting and scheduling shall be done at the conference level and posted 48 hours prior to the event.

Roster
Teams will be allowed a 15 man roster for each event.  The players may change on the roster from event to event but must be submitted to tournament officials prior to each event. All participants must be eligible and registered based on USA Rugby Collegiate Eligibility Regulations and each team must have a certified coach as required by USAR regulation.

SCRC Championship Seeding
Points will be assigned based on finish in the three series championship events.  15 points will be awarded to the top finishing SCRC team, 14 to the second highest finishing SCRC team, and then will continue down the ranking.

11/24/2014, 8:45pm ESTBy GA & MB

All Conference, Player of the Year, Coach of the Year

The Southeastern Collegiate Rugby Conference wrapped up another exciting season with the University of South Carolina being crowned champions at the SCRC 15s Championships in Columbia, SC. The Gamecocks capped off a fantastic season with a 50-22 win over Alabama in the final.

SCRC 15s Rugby Player of the Year – Dana Corcoran
South Carolina’s Dana Corcoran has been named SCRC Player of the Year. The senior flanker from Wando High School in Charleston, SC is a Business major and AP Scholar.

Dana returned from an early season injury to lead the team in the final matches of the fall campaign and the SCRC Championship. Dana’s tenacity on defense and high work rate fit very well with his inspirational leadership of the Gamecocks. Off the field he is well known as an excellent ambassador of the game. 

SCRC 15s Rugby Coach of the Year – Evan Kaplan
Mississippi State’s Evan Kaplan has been named SCRC Coach of the Year. Evan and Coach Randy Pannell led the Bulldogs in a fantastic fall season that included a West Division Championship and their first ever appearance in the SCRC Championship Tournament. In Spring 2013 Mississippi State was 0-6 in conference play and was outscored by over 250 points. 18 months later MSU finished the Fall 2014 campaign with a 5-1 record and a West Division Championship. Receiving very little resources from the university, Evan and Randy’s hard work is a testament to the fact that a team can achieve in the conference with solid recruiting, a student athlete commitment to training and a dedicated coaching staff. 

All-Conference
This year’s competition saw much improvement over the course of the season with some teams taking major steps to improve their programs. Overall the level of play was much improved and it showed in competitive matches from top to bottom. The conference would like to thank all teams, players, coaches, club sports administrators, referees, volunteers, and fans for making this year a success. The following are individuals whose performances stood out above the rest. 

First Team

1. Nathan Diggers (Georgia)
2. Patrick Hafenbriddle (Kentucky)
3. Daniel Depperschmidt (Alabama)
4. Wyatt Visca (Tennessee)
5. Zac Gorman (South Carolina)
6. Dana Corcoran (South Carolina)
7. Ryan Roper (Tennessee)
8. Shawn Branham (Alabama)
9. Brian Keown (South Carolina)
10. Kyle Burnett (Florida)
11. Luke Dyson (Tennessee)
12. Ross Depperschmidt( Alabama)
13. Simon Bedoya (Alabama)
14. Lee Bogitsh (Tennessee)
15. Tim Hamill (South Carolina)

Second Team

1. Jake Murphy (Tennessee)
2. Logan McNeil (Tennessee)
3. Roger Williams (Florida)
4. Alex Diaz (Florida)
5. Zach Mullineaux (South Carolina)
6. Mike Mahon (South Carolina)
7. Kyle Peterson (Kentucky)
8. Stephen Sheehan (Florida)
9. Jordan Speights (Mississippi State)
10. CJ Leadingham (Kentucky)
11. Stephen Beckerle (Florida)
12. Christian Hardy (Kentucky)
13. Christian Harrell (South Carolina)
14. Demarrion Haynes (Mississippi State)
15. Omar McClendon (Mississippi State)