Clemson’s club rugby team will face the University of Tennessee in the Southeastern Collegiate Rugby Conference (SCRC) Championship on Saturday, Nov. 20. 

Competing for the Division I Title, the teams are the highest ranked in the division. Tennessee is currently undefeated and ranked No. 1 for the division, leading with 18 points for the season. However, Clemson trails in second for the division by only two points with 16. Clemson’s record is 5-1, with its only loss being to Tennessee previously in the season.   

While Tennessee will have the home-field advantage, the players are not discouraged. 

“I’m a little nervous since we lost to them earlier in the season, but it was definitely a game that was under our control,” said freshman player Cole Frank. 

In their previous match against Tennessee, Clemson faltered at the end of the game, letting up a try to lose the match on both sides, 15-20 and 25-41.   

“We’re excited to get back out there and hopefully win this time,” said Frank. 

This year’s rugby team has been an exciting one to watch for Tiger fans. Many students have picked up on the team’s popularity, primarily because it has had more success than Clemson’s football team. The rugby team also faced a limited season last year, so getting back on the field was a large part of the team’s promotion.  

With an almost undefeated season, this has been one of the best seasons for the Tigers’ rugby team. 

“We had a great way to end the regular season beating Kentucky, and we’d just like to keep this momentum going,” said freshman player Jackson Campeau.  

Kickoff will take place Saturday afternoon in Knoxville, Tennessee. While the game will not be streamed, results can be found on Clemson Rugby’s Instagram page, @clemsonrugby. 

This article appeared in The Tiger’s Nov. 18 print edition. It may differ in formatting or content due to space constraints.