Three well-regarded teams from the Southern Rugby Conference (Men's D2) plus a perennial SCRC contender will meet up this weekend in a tournament of shortened games to kick off the fall in the South.

Furman University Rugby will host three other teams in the Furman Invitational, with University of South Carolina, Belmont Abbey, and The Citadel all playing three 20-minute games on the day.

"Everyone is just excited to get some real competition," said Michael Miller, Head Coach at Furman. "For us we're using this to get 60 minutes of rugby in a contact environment. We were able to play some in-house last year, which is something not every team could do, but it's still not the same as real competition."

Each team will play the other in a 20-minute game, and then have the opportunity to switch out players, or just take a breather and talk it over. With so many of the teams fielding new players—experienced in rugby or not—this kind of warmup event is important. So, too, is an introduction to the rugby culture, and Miller said the Invitational will have a social aspect as well. The teams will be hosted and fed after the rugby and encouraged to mix and interact, emphasizing the camaraderie among opponents the game is known for.

All four teams have their own story.

Furman has a new Head Coach in Miller, who has worked with the program for many years. After playing essentially no rugby for about 20 months, the Paladins, always a contender for a conference and national title, are in full rebuilding mode. The team, however, has been able to hold onto some talented players who have patiently awaited the chance to compete again.

Belmont Abbey, meanwhile, is a completely new program under Head Coach Nick Whitrow. The program is very young, with more than two-thirds of the roster being freshmen. The players are from all over, with two from South Africa, two from England, and players from Washington state, Tennessee, Ohio, North Carolina, Florida, Connecticut, Michigan, and South Carolina. These are players who accomplished things in high school, know how to play, but they are not big. Whithrow will want to have these players moving the ball throughout the game.

South Carolina is working on a plan to pay their new Head Coach, who is John Roberts, former longtime coach at Furman (and good friend of Miller). It's part of a plan to support the program more and more and build on the success of the past. What USC is looking for is some wins in the increasingly competitive SCRC DI competition, but they've got time as the Gamecocks won't hit the meat of the SCRC season until they face Kentucky on October 16. So now it's about finding out what they have.

The Citadel also comes in with a new coach, with Tommy Duffy coming in to take the reins. Duffy has worked hard on recruiting and will field three sides this year, an A, a B, and a Developmental group. Junior No. 8/center Chris Werder is going to be a key asset for the Bulldogs, with lock Gage Gibson and hooker Grant Bourdon anchoring the pack. They also welcome another No. 8/center with Life University transfer Tegue Tilo. Clearly Citadel has power and versatility. 

The Citadel is a military institution, and the rugby team has dedicated its season to the 13 service members killed in Afghanistan on August 26: Marine Corps Staff Sgt. Darin T. Hoover, Marine Corps Sgt. Johanny Rosariopichardo, Marine Corps Sgt. Nicole L. Gee, Marine Corps Cpl. Hunter Lopez, Marine Corps Cpl. Daegan W. Page, Marine Corps Cpl. Humberto A. Sanchez, Marine Corps Lance Cpl. David L. Espinoza, Marine Corps Lance Cpl. Jared M. Schmitz, Marine Corps Lance Cpl. Rylee J. McCollum, Marine Corps Lance Cpl. Dylan R. Merola, Marine Corps Lance Cpl. Kareem M. Nikoui, Navy Hospitalman Maxton W. Soviak, and Army Staff Sgt. Ryan C. Knauss. 

Here is the Furman Invitational Schedule:

Match 1: Furman vs. Belmont Abbey 11:00am - 11:20am

Match 2: Furman vs. South Carolina 11:25 - 11:45am

Match 3: South Carolina vs. Belmont Abbey 11:50 - 12:15pm

Match 4: Furman vs. Citadel 12:20 - 12:40pm

Match 5: Citadel vs. South Carolina 12:45 - 1:05pm

Match 6: Citadel vs. Belmont Abbey 1:10 - 1:30pm