A Strong Showing in Winston-Salem

The University of South Carolina men’s rugby program sent two teams to compete in the Demon Deacon Duel 7s Tournament on Saturday in Winston-Salem. The A-side finished 2–2, earning third place in the eight-team premier bracket. The B-side posted a 1–3 record and finished seventh.

At first glance, those results might seem modest for a program that has won three SCRC championships in the past four years. But a closer look tells a different story.

The Gamecock A-side opened the day with decisive wins over conference rivals Kentucky (35–7) and Clemson (26–0). They then dropped a thrilling, back-and-forth contest to Belmont Abbey, a varsity program loaded with international talent, 24–17.

By the end of pool play, South Carolina and Belmont Abbey had clearly established themselves — at least on this day — as the top teams in the field. The Crusaders rolled through their pool with wins over Clemson (38–7), Kentucky (46–0), and USC, the only team to score against them.

Despite those results, the tournament format placed the Gamecocks and Belmont Abbey in the same four-team championship bracket after lunch. In the quarterfinals, South Carolina shut out Duke 26–0, while Belmont Abbey defeated USC’s B-side 35–5.

The semifinal rematch between the Gamecocks and Crusaders proved just as intense as their earlier meeting — physical, passionate, and tightly contested. Once again, Belmont Abbey edged South Carolina, 28–21, in a match that could have gone either way.

Belmont Abbey went on to defeat Clemson 26–0 in the championship, leaving the Tigers in second place.

While the B-side finished 1–3, it is important to note that they competed in the premier bracket against top-level programs. The squad battled hard in losses to Virginia Tech (35–14) and UNC-Charlotte (19–5), earned a 24–17 win over Duke, and gained valuable experience throughout the day. Belmont Abbey ultimately proved too strong.

“While our two losses to Belmont were tough to swallow, I am proud of the way our teams competed,” said head coach John Roberts. “Offensively, we moved the ball well and played knock-down defense, particularly against Clemson and Kentucky.”

This weekend, the A-side will travel to Gainesville to compete in the Sunshine 7s, an NCR qualifier. Meanwhile, the remainder of the squad will head to Oxford, Mississippi, where they will field three teams in a 7s tournament hosted by Ole Miss.