Wheeling Rugby Wins Ruck the Rock Championship & National Bid | 5-0 Run

March 22, 2026 Alex Carter - Sports Editor Sport

ROCK HILL, SC – The Wheeling University Men’s Rugby team secured a national bid and the Ruck the Rock Championship title on Sunday, completing a dominant 5-0 run through the tournament and silencing early-season questions about their championship potential. The Cardinals defeated four ranked opponents, including avenging a prior loss, and outscored their competition 153-36.

Wheeling began their championship journey with a 24-10 victory over Southern Virginia University. Panashe Mugororodi opened the scoring with his first try of the 7s season, followed by a try from Shadreck Mandaza and a conversion by Taku Musingwini. Alex Nyamunda added another try, and Mandaza closed out the game with a second try and successful conversion.

The Cardinals continued their momentum in a decisive 43-7 win against Queens University of Charlotte. Mandaza and Musingwini each scored again, with Musingwini adding two conversion kicks. Chris Mathebula scored his first try of the season, while Navin Couch and Mason Ziegler also contributed tries. This victory marked the second time Wheeling has defeated Queens this year, with an overall score of 67-7 in their two matchups.

In the quarterfinal round, Wheeling faced Belmont Abbey College, earning a 26-5 victory. Mugororodi scored the opening try, converted by Musingwini. Both Musingwini and Mandaza added tries and conversions of their own, and Zac Hay secured his first try of the 7s season to finalize the scoring.

The semifinal match against #11 University of Notre Dame proved to be a one-sided affair, with Wheeling achieving a 36-0 shutout. Lawula Bata scored two tries and added a conversion, while Mandaza contributed a try and two conversions. Mathebula added two more tries, and Nyamunda completed the scoring.

The championship final saw Wheeling pitted against Dartmouth, where Alex Nyamunda, the 15’s national player of the year, delivered a standout performance. Nyamunda scored the first two tries, with Musingwini converting one. Mandaza and Bata each added a try, and Musingwini finished with two conversion kicks, leading Wheeling to a 24-14 victory.

Shadreck Mandaza led Wheeling in tries for the tournament with seven, followed by Alex Nyamunda with four. Chris Mathebula and Lawula Bata each recorded three tries, while Taku Musingwini and Panashe Mugororodi each had two. Navin Couch, Mason Ziegler, and Zac Hay each contributed one try. Musingwini led in conversion kicks with seven, followed by Mandaza with four and Bata with three.

Wheeling will continue their season on Saturday, March 28th, traveling to South Bend, Indiana, to participate in the Fighting Irish 7s tournament.