Six teams in the Mid-South Independent Rugby League (MSIRL) are in action this weekend as the new cross-border competition heats up.

Charlotte Catholic gets on the field for their first game of the MSIRL league against a Columbia Area (Irmo) team that lost a close one to Phoenix last week. The East Cobb Trojans take on Union County in the first game for Union County. The Trojans’ first game was in December and they lost 48-0 to the Charlotte Tigers. Still, East Cobb are expected to be a bit stronger now that they have closer to their full complement of players.

The Tigers, 1-0 in the league, take on Wando, the defending South Carolina champs. 

“You don’t want to jinx yourself, but we have a core group of seniors that have been in the system for years, coming all the way up through our middle-school feeder system,” said Tigers Head Coach Frank McKinney.  “They are fit, have high rugby IQs and set the tone for the team.  If we stay relatively healthy and keenly focused - we could be scary his year."

Things are looking up for Wando, too. They have the largest roster they’ve ever had - 70 athletes - and are returning seven of their eight forward pack sarters.

Locks Arthur Doyle and Joe Griffin, as well as No. 8 Joe Schmidt and hooker Jake Morris, are all seniors who are good leaders.

In the backs, Wando graduated a ton of talent, including outside center Jon Cummins. His brother, Josh, is back for another year and Thomas Glasson is solid on the wing, But the main back to watch is Charlie van Vliet, a superb scrumhalf and an excellent goalkicker. 

“After we get a few games under our belt, and the backs can gain experience, we should be a good team,” said Wando Head Coach Tod Shepherd. “It’s tough to gauge our team yet since we did not play any scrimmages yet.”

Right now, thanks to that 48-0 win over East Cobb, the Tigers look very strong. 

"We have to stay committed to sound and stout defense,” said McKinney. “That is where everything starts for us.”