Wheeling Rugby Set for National Championship Run at CRC 7’s

Wheeling, W. Va. – In 2023, the Wheeling University Rugby team (25-3-1) had their National Championship aspirations fall just short when they were knocked out in the Quarterfinal Round. In 2024, they are back to the Collegiate Rugby Championship (CRC) National 7’s for the fourth consecutive year, this time as the #1 seed, and look to bring that first-ever National Championship title back to Wheeling. The Cardinals start their run on Thursday, with first-round action against #8 Fordham University, in what will be the first of at least three matches on the day for the team. The Cardinals are coming off of a BRRC 7’s Championship win back on April 14th, in a tournament where they saw their offense flying high. They allowed their only try of the day in the first match as they took down Rio Grande 26-7. From there, the defense was able to shutout their opponents for the rest of the afternoon, earning wins of 41-0 over Trine University and 43-0 over Marian to move to 3-0 in Pool Play. It would earn them a semifinal round match with Principia College, who they played for the Big Rivers Rugby Conference (BRRC) title back in November during 15’s season. The Cardinals earned a 26-0 win over the Panthers and just kept that success going in the finals with a 50-0 win over Rio Grande to earn their second consecutive conference championship. It was another big day for Shadrek Mandaza, who has been thriving since joining the team during the 7’s season. He led the team in scoring in the BRRC 7’s Championships, and has been among the top scorers for the team all 7’s season long. He came to Wheeling after playing with the Zimbabwe Cheetas 7’s, which is their national team, and has used that experience to his advantage on the pitch. He has been the Cardinal’s leading scorer in three of their four tournaments this season, with his 10 try performance in the Terrapin 7’s Tournament to start the year sitting as his career-high. He has added another level to the Cardinal’s offense and looks to continue that success as he heads to the National Stage with the Cardinals. Along with Mandaza, the team also features the dynamic scoring capabilities of guys like Chief Chipfumbu and Aaron Juma. Both have won National Collegiate Rugby (NCR) DI All-American Awards in their careers and both have been leaders on the offensive side of the ball. At the 2023 CRC National 7’s, it was Juma who led the Cardinals with four tries across the team’s three games and he looks to once again be a dynamic player on offense. On the defensive side, it has been team captain Josh Blankenship who has led the way as a force in the middle of the field. He would commonly take down the opposition when they tried to break through the middle and helped create turnovers for his team. As they open up the CRC National 7’s Tournament, the Cardinals are guaranteed at least three matches on the opening day of competition on Friday. They kick things off with #8 seeded Fordham in the first round, playing through a bracket that has been called “murderers row’ by NCR officials. Along with their matchup against Fordham, the bracket also includes Indiana, St. Bonaventure, Fairfield, Mount St. Mary’s, and Marian. If the Cardinals win their first-round matchup, it gives them more rest time between matches as they head into the second round. However, a first-round loss equals a faster turnaround and a harder road to Saturday’s events. The Cardinals are looking to continue their stretch of strong play this spring as they head towards the National Championships. The Cardinals and Rams are meeting for the first time in program history on Friday morning as they open CRC National 7’s play. The Cardinals are looking to open the series with a win against the Rams before taking on the winner of the Fairfield vs. Mount St. Mary’s game. If Mount St. Mary’s wins, it will be a rematch of last season’s nail-biting CRC quarterfinal event that saw Wheeling fall 7-5 ending their tournament. If they face Fairfield, it will be the first meeting between those two programs as well.