Wheeling, W. Va. - Last weekend, the Wheeling University Rugby team (4-2) was disappointed when they had their game against Kent State University canceled due to injuries. However, they are back home at Bishop Schmitt Field this week when they host Davenport University on Saturday in their annual "Ruck Cancer" event.
Wheeling will be wearing special pink jerseys for the event and will be holding raffles for different prizes throughout the game. All proceeds will go to charity as the team raises money for Breast Cancer Awareness month. As they raise money for a good cause off the field, They will be looking to put on a show on the pitch as they get back to facing a D1AA opponent that will test them. It has been a while since Rugby has taken the field, with their last game coming on October 2nd when the team traveled to take on Army.
It was a hard-fought game throughout for the Cardinals, but one they would ultimately fall in 31-14. However, it was a day of firsts for two members of the Wheeling Rugby team, shedding a positive light on the outing. Freshman Navin Couch scored his first collegiate try in the game, and sophomore Michael Muleya scored his first try of the 2021 Fall season. Sophomore Joseph Iye converted both conversion kicks for the Cardinals, accounting for all the offense on the day. With Kent State's forfeit last week, Wheeling was able to pick up their fourth win of the season and moved their record to 4-2 on the year.
The main key to Wheeling's success this season has been their offense's ability to put points on the board. In their six games this season, Wheeling has outscored its opponents 254-69 and has allowed more than 20 points in a game just once this season. They are looking to get back in their groove this week, after being held to under 20 points themselves the last two games, as they try to lead their team to victory in their final home game of the regular season.
After a season in which they played all 7's last season, the transition back to 15's has been a smooth one for the Cardinals. Even though they have dropped each of the last two games they played, they are working their way back into seeing some tough D1AA competition. They were ranked 13th in D1AA in the Goff Poll Last Week and are putting themselves on the map as one of the top D1AA programs in the country.
The Match-up
Wheeling and Davenport have matched up three times in the team's history, but they haven't played against each other in over six years. Their last meeting was on April 18th, 2015, when the two teams met in Grand Rapids, Michigan. However, the two teams haven't played a game in Wheeling since the 2013 season, which was also the first-ever match-up between the two teams.
In their last game, the Panthers downed the Cardinals 38-8 in a spring road game. Wheeling has never scored more than 10 points in a game against Davenport and will be looking to reverse that script this time around. No one on the current roster was in the last game between the two teams, starting the rivalry again here in 2021.
The Details
Dropkick for Saturday's game is scheduled for 1 PM at Bishop Schmitt Field. You can watch the game live by clicking HERE and follow along for in-game updates on our Twitter Page.
