
Five members of the Clemson University club rugby organization competed at the National Collegiate Men’s All-Star Tournament in Atlanta, Georgia on Jan. 18-19. Noah Ainsworth, Pete Hayes, Campbell van Rooyen, Alex Smith-Stephens and Ben Thompson represented the Tigers at Silverbacks Park as members of the Southeast Bears team. Hayes was named all-tournament at the conclusion of the event.
“This is an awesome achievement for these players,” says Troy Hall, men’s club coach and former member of Team USA from 2008-15. “They had the opportunity to be around other players, build their network, play in front of scouts and test themselves. They will be better for it.”
Four members played for the Bears’ all-star team, while Smith-Stephens, a freshman, was part of the Bears’ rising stars group. In all, Clemson players accounted for 37 points and helped the two teams to a 6-4 overall record in the event.

Hayes, a former high school placekicker in Charleston, South Carolina, was responsible for a conversion and a penalty kick for a total of five points. He led the Bears’ all-star team to a 3-3 record, with wins in the quarterfinals and third-place game.
“I’ve absolutely loved my time at Clemson,” says Hayes, the club’s fly half and a transfer from Life University last fall. “It’s the best experience I could have possibly asked for.”
Thompson led all Clemson players in the event with 15 points, courtesy of three successful tries. The senior flanker scored 10 of the team’s 29 points in the third-place victory over Great Lakes. Van Rooyen, a graduate international student manning the Number 8 position, had 10 points on two successful tries. Ainsworth, a sophomore hooker, added a five-point try. Smith-Stephens, a wing from England, led the rising stars to a 3-1 record in the event, including a win in the third-place match over Great Lakes.
The all-star appearances capped a successful fall season that saw Clemson rank No. 3 nationally in Division I-AA. The Tigers advanced to the quarterfinals of the national tournament, their first fall 15s appearance since 2021.
Clemson kicks off the spring season on Saturday, Jan. 25 in Gainesville, Florida for the Sunshine 7s. The club will be holding tryouts for its spring team on Tuesday, Jan. 28 at 5 p.m. at its home field on 567 Edinburgh Way, Seneca, SC 29678. Tryout information is located online.
The club is scheduled to host a home event on Saturday, March 29 in Clemson.