The Clemson University Rugby Football Club (often abbreviated as Clemson Rugby) was founded in 1967. Clemson finished the 2005 Season ranked #14, the 2006 Season ranked #13 in the nation, and the 2007 season #17. Clemson's best season was in 1996 when the team advanced to the quarterfinals of the national playoffs and finished ranked 7th nationally. Rugby is one of the oldest club sports at Clemson University. The team has gone 57–15 in the last three years, with the only losses coming to men's teams and top 20 ranked college rugby teams. There was also an article about Clemson Rugby in the Greenville News in the Spring of 2006. Troy Hall has served as the head coach of Clemson Rugby since 2020. Championships USA Rugby South champions: 1996, 1998, and 2006. Georgia Rugby Union tourney winners: 2003, 2004, 2005 and 2006. Huntsville Rugby Tournament champion: 2003. ACRL champion: 2013, 2014, 2015 ACRL runner-up: (spring) 2012, 2013 Palmetto Bowl champion vs South Carolina at 2014 ACRC Bowl Series National Playoffs: USA College Rugby Quarterfinals appearances: 1996, 1989, 2013. Round of 16 appearances: 1996 (Cornell/Penn State), 1998 (Dartmouth/Colorado State), 2005 (Army/Penn State), 2006 (Navy/UC Santa Barbara) and 2007 (Navy/Army). Quarter Finals appearance in the 2015 Varsity Cup (Defeated Arkansas State/Lost to Navy). Quarter Finals appearance in the 2016 Varsity Cup (Defeated Dartmouth/Lost to California). Appearances in the Collegiate Rugby Championship Sevens Tournament: 2015, 2016, 2017. History In spring 1967 four friends, Frank N. Mora III (Puerto Rico), Jeremy Pike (Australia), Nick Schoular (United Kingdom), and Geoff Tyers (United Kingdom) led the effort to bring the sport of rugby to Clemson University. During the first few years the team struggled through many years of hardships like most new teams working to increase membership, secure matches and develop coaching skills. As time passed, however, the team improved. In 1971, Clemson Rugby secured a significant upset victory over Yale — the 1970 Ivy League champions who were on a 19-game winning streak. Clemson Rugby soon became a major force in collegiate rugby. During the first half of the 1970s the club was one of only a handful in the South. As a result, it led to the team consistently competing against University of North Carolina, Charleston Rugby Club, N.C. State, Atlanta Old White and Medical College of Georgia. In 1973 Clemson rugby alumni Jim McMillan helped found the rugby team at the Medical College