CLAYTON, NC – Adding to their growing list of rugby events, the Clayton Rugby Football Club is excited to announce that they have been named as hosts for the 2018 National Small College Rugby Organization (NSCRO) Mid-Atlantic South Region Championship match. Set to take place on Sunday April 8th, 2018 at the Clayton RFC’s current home pitch at East Clayton Community Park the match is part of the pathway to the NSCRO National Championship. Loyola University of Maryland has secured the Mid-Atlantic birth in the championship while the South representative has yet to be determined. The winner of this match qualifies for the NSCRO Champions Cup National Championship on April 28-29th.
Founded in 2007, NSCRO has been at the forefront of fostering and developing small college rugby programs in the United States. NSCRO is a non-profit organization dedicated to providing services to small college programs that raise the profile, image, and benefits of collegiate rugby in the eyes of school administrators. The organization currently provides services to nearly 400 Collegiate Men and Women’s clubs with over 11,000 participants.
“We are extremely excited and thankful to have this opportunity to work with NSCRO and begin to build a relationship,” said Clayton RFC President Ted Hardy. “This is exactly the type of event that we planned to pursue after opening the Johnston County Rugby Park later this year, but when we were approached by NSCRO it was too great of an opportunity to pass up.”
The Mid-Atlantic South Region Championship expects to draw fans, from multiple states, to Johnston County and the Clayton RFC is working hard to provide the travelling teams and fans a great experience. The club is expecting upwards of 250 fans to make the trip to Clayton to watch the Championship. The club is working with the Johnston County Visitor’s Bureau to help make the trip to the area great, both on and off of the pitch, for all of the visitors.
“We are pleased with the selection of the Clayton Bootleggers RFC as host for this important match and know the teams and their fans will have a great experience,” said NSCRO President Steve Cohen.
The Clayton RFC isn’t a stranger to rugby events as they host one of the largest Summer 7s tournaments in the region. The 2017 CottonTown 7s Rugby Festival brought in 30 teams and almost 500 players to the area for the tournament. This past Fall, the club also hosted a Southern Rugby Conference playoff match between East Carolina University and Coastal Carolina University.
“It’s a few months off, but it will be on us before we know it,” added Hardy. “We look forward to the challenge. We learn a little something from each event that we host and use that knowledge to make the next event even better. I think the NSCRO Mid-Atlantic South Championship will provide a great platform for us to continue to expand and improve upon on our game day presentation and operations.”
Admission to the NSCRO Mid-Atlantic South Region Championship is free of charge and open to the public.
For more information, please contact the Clayton RFC at info@claytonrfc.com
About the National Small College Rugby Organization
Since 2007, the National Small College Rugby Organization (NSCRO) has been at the forefront of fostering and developing small college rugby programs in the United States. NSCRO is a non-profit organization dedicated to providing services to small college programs that raise the profile, image, and benefits of collegiate rugby in the eyes of school administrators. Comprised of nearly 400 men’s and women’s college rugby clubs who participate in more than 30 leagues, NSCRO provides an opportunity for these programs to showcase their abilities to a broader audience with a chance at a national title and ranking. Along with recognizing club and player success on and off the field, the increased visibility NSCRO creates has led to improved school support, greater on-campus interest in rugby, and growth in financial support and alumni involvement.
For more information, visit www.nscro.org and follow us on facebook.com/nscrorugby, @nscrorugby on Twitter and @nscrorugby on Instagram.
About the Clayton Rugby Football Club
Founded in 2013 and having played their first game in mid-2014, the club has grown quickly with an active membership of over 70 people. Developed with a family friendly and community driven club culture, the Clayton RFC offers both playing and social membership levels. The Clayton RFC currently fields three Men’s teams (D3, D4, and Old Boys) with a fourth (U23) in development. The club also provides rugby to local youth through outreach activities, camps, and a Spring and Fall youth program through their partnership with the Town of Wilson’s Mills.
