Kentucky rugby defeated the Clemson Tigers 8-7 to obtain the 2024 SCRC Championship, staying alive in the club’s quest for a second national championship. 

The tournament started this year with a semifinal victory over South Carolina 29-15.

With the victory, the Wildcats advanced to the SCRC championship game against the Clemson Tigers.

The championship game took place at Hendersonville, Tennessee, on Nov. 9th. With Kentucky’s 8-7 victory over the Tigers, the Wildcats were named conference champions.

With another trophy coming home to Lexington, questions can arise as to whether or not the Wildcats have already met their expectations for the 2024 season or if winning a conference trophy is no longer the goal.

When a team wins the finals last year, it is really hard to exceed that goal. Kentucky winning the conference title is a good start to meeting its expectations, but it will have to continue to work hard to obtain that national title to truly feel satisfied.

One key takeaway from the conference title game was the defense played from the Cats. Holding Clemson to only seven points in a title game is no easy task to do.

According to the official Kentucky rugby page, “The match, played under challenging weather conditions, was physically and mentally demanding.”

When entering the conference tournament, Kentucky had a lot of pressure, having possession of a perfect record and a first-round bye. 

Now having won the conference tournament, Kentucky is in the position to make a deep run in the national playoffs and look to win another national title.

For most around the country this would have blown all expectations out of the water, but with Head Coach Sam Enari already having one national title under his belt, Kentucky wants another NATIONAL title, not just a conference trophy.

Kentucky will continue its run for another national title facing off against the St. Joseph’s Hawks.