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Pape 2024

Ken Pape

Ken Pape enters his second season as the head coach for the Wheeling Women's Rugby team after capturing the program's first National Championship in the team's inaugural season.

Pape's Cardinals hit the ground running hard and showed how dominant they can be early on. The team averaged 59.25 points per game throughout the 2024 15's season with a perfect 12-0 record. The Cardinals made some noise on the national stage, earning the #1 ranking in the country over the final three weeks of the regular season. The Cardinals would best #4 St. Bonaveture in the Alleghney Rugby Union (ARU) Championship 55-10 to move to the NCR D1 15's playoffs, where the Cardinals won against the University of Virginia and Northeastern to eventually steamroll Southern Nazarene in Houston, TX 55-17 to claim the title of National Champions, becoming the first new program to win it all. Under Pape's watch, multiple Cardinal players were recognized for their outstanding play such as sophomore Alexis Dallas, who was named the MVP of the Championship match and being named an NCR All-American along with three of her teammates, juniors Bella Gullatta, Tamzin Boyce and freshman Joelle Taylor. With her All-American and MVP nod, Dallas was also nominated for the prestigious Ma Sorenson for her performance throughout the season and on the national stage.

Pape would carry over the team's success into the 2025 Spring 7's, going 20-7-1. After an stunning 15's season, it would be prove to be difficult to replicate the success, but Pape lead the Cardinals back into the postseason with a first round win over Bowdoin College 19-5, but would fall to American International College 31-14. Despite the early exit in the quarterfinals, Pape and his Cardinals earned nine shutouts on the year, kept 18 opponents under 15 or fewer points, and outscored their opponents 763-325. 

On May 2nd, 2024, the Wheeling University Athletic Department announced the creation of the first-ever Intercollegiate Varsity Women's Rugby team in school history. On Wednesday, they announced Ken Pape as the inaugural Head Women's Rugby Coach to lead the program in their first season in 2024-2025. Pape comes to Wheeling after spending the last four years as the Head Women's Rugby coach at Lander University and is excited for the opportunity to build the program.

"Coming to Wheeling is a true blessing," said Pape. "During the interview process I smiled most of the day, hearing everything Wheeling is about and realizing that our values aligned. I want to first thank my Lander family and most importantly all the players I had the privilege to coach. I am excited to be the first coach in program history and I can build this thing exactly how I want it."
 
Pape was first hired by Lander in July of 2020 and was tasked with helping to build the Bearcat program from the ground up. Four years later, the Bearcats are having their best season in program history, going 24-3-1 including a 16-0-1 mark in Spring 7's play.

He also lead them to the Collegiate Rugby Championship (CRC) National 7's Tournament for the first time as they claimed a top 15 finish. During 15's season, Pape helped lead the Bearcats to the National Intercollegiate Rugby Association (NIRA) National Tournament, where his team made their first National Championship Game appearance.
 
Prior to the 2023-2024 season, Pape led Lander Women's Rugby to back-to-back South Carolina State Collegiate Rugby Tournament Championships in his first two seasons as head coach, producing a 31-14-1 mark. Under his watch, four Bearcats earned NIRA All-American awards following the 2022 15's season, and Bearcats Women's Rugby players Bailey and Jess Burt were named to the USA U23 Women's Rugby team.
 
Pape brings with him over 15 years of Rugby Coaching experience across High School and College rugby coaching experience. Prior to his time at Lander, Pape would spend three seasons at Division III Colby Sawyer, where he went 18-5 as Head Women's Rugby Coach and won conference titles during both 15's and 7's season. He also has spent time at Rutgers University as Head Women's Rugby Coach, as well as being brought in to work with the USA Rugby Girls High School All Americans and the Head Coach for the Empire GU All-Stars.
 
"Wheeling has a long-standing rich tradition of Rugby," said Wheeling Athletic Director Carrie Hanna. "Ken Pape brings with him a wealth of coaching experience and has helped build programs from the ground up. We are excited to expand opportunities by starting the Women's Rugby program, and with Ken's guidance we are looking forward to seeing the program grow."
 
Pape will once again be tasked with building a program from the ground up as he starts to build the Wheeling University Women's Rugby team. In the early 1990's Wheeling University did host a club Women's Rugby program for a brief time, but 2023-2024 will be the first intercollegiate varsity team in the school's history. They will play their home games at Bishop Schmitt Field and will begin competition in the Fall 2024 15's season.
 
The Wheeling University Women's Rugby program is excited to begin its growth through the off-season and be ready for competition in the fall.
 

Year 

Overall Record 

Fall 15’s Record 

Spring 7’s Record 

Notes 

2024-2025 

32-7-1, 3-0 

12-0, 3-0

20-7-1 

NCR Fall 15’s National Champions, CRC Spring 7’s Quarterfinals 

Total 

32-7-1, 3-0 

12-0 

20-7-1 

1x NCR Fall 15’s National Champions 

1x CRC Spring 7’s Quarterfinals