#5 on the club’s list of Top Moments from 2019 is the 4th Annual CottonTown 7s. The tournament, held annually in July, has become one of the largest summer 7s events in the southeast region. The 2019 CottonTown 7s had almost 30 teams with Men, Women, and High School Boys divisions. With over 500 players at the tournament and hundreds of fans the CottonTown 7s is the largest event that the Clayton RFC hosts each year. The tournament was also streamed live from Field 1. Highlights and replay can be found on our YouTube page. The 5th Annual CottonTown 7s is scheduled for Saturday July 11th, 2020.
#4 on our list of Top Moments from 2019 is our 1st XV making the Carolinas Rugby Union Division III playoffs for the second consecutive season. After finishing the 2018/2019 regular season in 2nd place, our 1st XV earned a home semifinal against rivals Cape Fear. Heavy rains negated the home field advantage as an alternate field needed to be used to make sure that the game was played. Cape Fear came out on fire and took a commanding lead. Our 1st XV battled back to close the gap early in the second half, but the visitors finished strong to win the match. Our 1st XV is in the heat of another playoff race for the 2019/2020 season. Stay tuned to see if they can make it a third straight playoff appearance.
#3 on our list of Top Moments from 2019 is the club’s 5th anniversary. The Clayton RFC was officially founded in the fall of 2013 and just celebrated our 6th birth date. However, it was the end of the 2018/2019 playing season that marked the club’s 5th full season of play. Time flies and the club has certainly packed a lot into our first five years of existence. Club leaders have built a solid foundation for the club, growing membership numbers, and breaking ground on a rugby facility. The stage has been set for many, many fruitful years for the Clayton RFC.
#2 on our list of Top Moments from 2019 is the completion of the first field at the Johnston County Rugby Park. A moment over three years in the making it marked a major landmark in the project. Ground breaking at the park took place during the summer of 2018 and record rainfall delayed progress at the park. Almost a year later work completed on the front field at the park. The two fields in the back are scheduled for completion this winter. Play is expected to begin at the Johnston County Rugby Park mid-2020.
#1 on our list of Top Moments from 2019 is the first international tour in club history. In September, 31 members and some family made an unforgettable trip to Scotland. The trip included games against Hillhead Jordanhill RFC and the Shawlands Sharks from Cartha Queens Park RFC. The touring party also enjoyed trips to Loch Lomond, Edinburgh, and a Glasgow Warriors Pro 14 match. Scotland gave us memories that will last a lifetime while also giving us a host of new rugby friends. The club has already started to plan the next tour for 2021.
