Founding members of USL League One create trophy for regional rivalry
Greenville, SC (April 7, 2023) –Greenville Triumph SC and South Georgia Tormenta FC have officially formalized their rivalry with the name “Peach States Derby,” highlighting the rich history of peaches in both states. The Peach States Derby honors the legacy of the iconic fruit by bringing together the two teams from South Carolina and Georgia to compete throughout the regular season for a trophy that will be presented on a later date.
Peaches have long been a beloved fruit in both Georgia and South Carolina, with each state laying claim to their own unique variety. In Georgia — also known as “The Peach State” across the United States — the peach industry dates back to the 1800s and has become a significant contributor to the state’s economy, with over 1.6 million trees producing millions of pounds of peaches each year. Similarly, South Carolina has a rich peach-growing history that dates back to the late 1800s, with the state producing more than three times the amount (in pounds) of peaches harvested in Georgia in a typical season.
The rivalry name was chosen after much discussion and consideration with the club’s supporters’ groups and fans across the region. Following an initial poll to determine interest in rivalry name options, supporters from both clubs supported the peach-themed rivalry name options, which ultimately led to Peach States Derby being selected and tweaked to highlight the shared border between the states.
How it Works:
The team with the most points from the regular season matches between the two teams will be awarded the Peach States Derby Trophy. To note, the trophy is based only on the regular season. Playoff matches, Open Cup matches and exhibition matches are not included in the decision of awarding the trophy. If both teams are tied in points come the end of the season, the first tie breaker will be total goals scored in the series, and the second tie breaker will be away goals scored.
Saturday, April 8, will mark the 16th meeting between the two League One sides that began with the inaugural League One match, resulting in a 1-0 Tormenta FC win on March 30, 2019, at Erk Russell Park in Statesboro, Georgia. Greenville got revenge in the clubs’ inaugural Open Cup match, winning 1-0 at Legacy Early College in Greenville. The clubs fought to the highest-scoring match in League One History, a 5-5 draw, in 2022 before facing off in the playoff semifinals later that year on Tormenta FC’s route to the 2022 League One Title.
Triumph SC travels to Statesboro to face Tormenta on Saturday, April 8th at 7:30 PM. They will meet two more times this season: in Greenville on Saturday, June 3rd, and back in Statesboro on Saturday, July 22nd to close out the season series.
