Wheeling, W. Va. - After two weeks of non-conference action, the Atlantic Rugby Conference (ARC) schedule officially kicks off on Saturday, with six of the best rugby teams on the Atlantic Coast battling it out for a conference title. On Saturday, the Wheeling University Men's Rugby team (2-0, 0-0) kicks off their run in the ARC when they hit the road to face Kutztown at 1 PM. It kicks off a six-game conference schedule for the team, covering six of their final seven regular season games.
The Cardinals wrapped up their non-conference schedule last time out with a trip to The University of Rio Grande. The Cardinal offense was once again the center of attention and, at the 10 minute mark, they came fast and furious on the Red Storm. Wheeling would score 13 points in a 10-minute span and, but the halftime mark already had 37 points on the scoreboard. It was the second straight half that the Cardinals eclipsed the 30-point mark, after putting up 52 points in the second half of their game against IUP in the opener. As the new half began, Rio Grande would find their way on the board with their first try of the day, and would add another in the game's final minute. However, sandwiched between the two Red Storm scores were two more Cardinal tries that brought the game to its final score of 47-13.
After not seeing the field in the Cardinal's season opener against IUP, sophomore Panashe Mugorogodi would make his presence felt in the second week of the season. Mugorogodi would score four tries in the match, three of those coming during the 37-point first half, as he helped lead the Cardinals to their second straight victory. Mugorogodi burst onto the scene during his freshman year with the Cardinals, scoring eight tries and amassing 40 points through the fall 15's campaign. He is already halfway to that number through one match in 2025 and uses a combination of speed and power to float up the Cardinal sidelines. As they head into conference play, Mugorogodi looks to continue building off of those good vibes and continuing to grow on the pitch.
It was also a big match for Alex Nyamunda, who is one try away from setting history on the pitch. He enters the Cardinal's first conference match tied for the career try record during 15's season with 21. He added two tries in the match against Rio Grande to tie the mark, and is the team's leader with six tries this season. The senior was named a National Collegiate Rugby (NCR) All-American a season ago and looks to lead the Cardinals down the stretch. In the kicking game, it was Taku Musingwini taking control, putting up 12 of his team's 47 points on the day. In the first half, he would hit a pair of big Penalty Kicks for the team. He was responsible for eight of the Cardinal's first 13 points of the match and finished the day making three of his seven conversion kicks. Musingwini is one of several new transfers for the team as the Cardinals try to chase down a 15's National Title.
With the non-conference schedule behind them, the Cardinals are ready to dive headfirst into their first season in the ARC. Formed in the summer of 2025, the ARC was created to be the pinnacle of collegiate men's rugby in the United States. The founding programs of the conference include Belmont Abbey, Queens University of Charlotte, Kutztown, St. Bonaventure, Walsh, and Wheeling, across five different states. Since the 2022 season, these six teams have been the premiere programs on the national stage, winning the National 7's Premier Cup Championship three times as well as having several appearances at the NCR 15's National Playoffs. As they kick-off the conference slate, the powerhouse teams will look to show what they can do on the pitch as they compete for a conference title.
The Matchup
The Cardinals and Golden Bears are meeting for the 12th time in program history, with Wheeling leading the all-time series at 6-5. Of the previous 11 meetings, seven of those have come during 15's season, including a meeting in the first round of the NCR DI 15's National Playoffs last season. In 15's play, the Cardinals are just 2-5 against Kutztown, compared to a 4-0 mark when they meet in 7's. Wheeling has averaged 21.73 points per game in the all-time match-up and looks to get in the win column in their conference opener.
Their last 15's meeting came on November 17th, 2024, when the Cardinals picked up a 34-28 win in the first round of the NCR DI 15's National playoffs. Former Cardinal Joseph Iye would lead the way on the day with 12 points, scoring one try while going 1-1 on penalty kicks and 2-2 on conversion kicks. Panashe Mugorogodi, Shadreck Mandaza, and Alex Nyamunda would each score tries to round off the scoring and advance the Cardinals to the Quarterfinals.
The Details
Kick-off for Saturday's game is scheduled for noon on the North Campus Rugby Pitch on the campus of Kutztown University. You can watch the match live by clicking HERE.
