A very good Saturday

Kevin Golden on the carry. (photo by Adam Couture)

The South Carolina Gamecocks rugby had a strong weekend of competition, highlighted by a solid showing at the Ruck the Ruck 7s Tournament. As the only club team competing in the premier bracket, South Carolina finished with a respectable 2–2 record.

The Gamecocks came out firing, opening the tournament with a dominant 42–0 victory over Lander Bearcats rugby. However, momentum stalled in the second match, as a powerful Kutztown Golden Bears rugby side controlled possession throughout and handed USC a 34–0 loss.

In the first afternoon matchup, South Carolina battled hard but couldn’t overcome two costly yellow cards, falling 26–17 to Dartmouth Big Green rugby—a team that would go on to finish as tournament runner-up. The Gamecocks closed the day on a high note, avenging their earlier defeat to Kutztown with an impressive 28–7 win.

Back in Columbia, the Gamecocks’ developmental 15s squad delivered a commanding 61–22 victory over a Columbia B-side at Owens Park. Michael Yost and Hunter Smith led the backline effort, helping USC to a 29–7 halftime lead. In the forwards, Carter Saleeby, Dylan Seymour, Brett Sparks, and Josh Cancro all turned in standout performances.

Looking ahead, the developmental side will face NC State rugby this Saturday at the Big E Memorial Invitational.