Queens, N.C. - The Wheeling University Men's Rugby team kicks off their 7s season in Queens, North Carolina. They will be participating in the Queens Cup hosted by Queens University. Although there will not be any national bids on the line this weekend these 5 teams are the likely top teams in NCR 7s premier cup this season.
Wheeling's first game will be against Kutztown at 10:20 am. Kutztown went 15-4 in the 2025 7's regular season and finished 9th in the premier cup championship. Wheeling is 4-0 against Kutztown in 7s matches with an average margin of victory in those games of 14 points. They played last year in South Bend Indiana where Wheeling came out on top with a 19-7 win. Shadreck Mandaza was the Cardinals leading scorer in that game with one try and one conversion kick. Wheeling will also play Kutztown's B team in the 3rd match of the day at 1:20pm.
Game 2 is at noon against Indiana University who is coming off of a Yellow Rose 7s Showcase win last weekend. Wheeling is 2-2 all time against Indiana in 7s but the past two years have had resounding victories. Last year Wheeling beat Indiana 38-7 to win the Peach Cup 7s and the year before won 29-5. Panashe Mugorogodi, Alex Nyamunda had two tries in that game and Shadreck Mandaza scored a try and two conversion kicks.
The 4th match of the day will be against Belmont Abbey College at 2:30 pm. Belmont Abbey made the premier cup final 4 last season losing to St. Bonaventure. Wheeling met with them in the Peach Cup 7s as well and won 28-7. This is Wheeling's only 7s matchup ever against Belmont Abbey. Mugorogodi, Mandaza, and Nyamunda scored in that game as well.
The final match of the day against Queens University at 3:30 pm. Queens was another victim last year in Wheeling's path to a national championship. They met for a semi final matchup and lost to Wheeling 38-12. The usual suspects led the way for Wheeling. Mandaza scored 16 on two tries and three conversion kicks, Mugorogodi and Nyamunda would score one, and Freshman Mason Zeigler scored one of his own as well.
This marks the beginning of Wheeling's quest for back to back to back national championships. Wheeling will be tested this weekend and it will be a good indicator of where the Cardinals stand.
