The Wabash College Rugby team traveled to Carmel, Indiana this past Saturday to face off against the White River Rugby Football Club to open up their fall season. The Little Giants ended the day 2–0 as they secured a 10’s match victory with a final score of 26-7 and a 7’s match win with a final score of 24-5. In both matches, the Little Giants took an early lead due to their controlled and aggressive play. 

Head Rugby Coach Kelly Romano’s leadership was front and center with her high-energy presence on the sideline keeping the team’s energy high, even when fatigue began to set in.

“It’s cool to be able to get this kind of intense competition early on,” said Wabash Rugby Club President Silas Mills ’27. “I think Coach Romano really helped us with that. She’s really emphasized setting that tone early on. As soon as we go out on the field, we’re ready to hit, and the first team that goes out and lays that first big hit is the team that generally is going to have more success in the long run.”

Alongside Coach Kelly’s leadership, the team’s effort was punctuated by both major milestones and individual performances. Isaac Reilly ’26, who scored two tries in during the games, was highlighted for his two-way ability, consistently delivering on both the attack and defense.

“He’s probably our most consistent player on the team,” said Mills. “He always puts up a really solid performance in every aspect of his game.”

Meanwhile, junior James Rusher ’27, who made his first return to the rugby pitch since his freshman year, ignited the passion in his fellow teammates through his determination.

“He came out, and he just had a great day,” said Romano. “You could tell he loves the sport, and that energy never left.”

Looking ahead, Wabash is set to face a tough stretch of matches, which includes Indiana University Indianapolis, Indiana University Bloomington, Ball State University and Taylor University. The team’s leadership scheduled high-level opponents to emphasize the demand for high-energy and high-effort performances from the team, no matter who is trying to stop them.

“Those are all pretty big teams that Wabash hasn’t had the chance to compete against in recent years,” said Mills. “Going in and treating every game not caring about how good you might think the opponent is and taking that same intensity into every game is what’s going to separate us from the other teams.”

With early-season momentum building after their weekend sweep, Mills gave a message to the fans on how they can offer their support to Wabash Rugby.

“Show out and be active when we have home games because I think rugby has such a unique atmosphere,” said Mills. “You can’t really compare it to football or soccer or anything else. And the more people that show up, the better we can foster a larger community for rugby.”

As Wabash continues its fall season, they hope to build a strong foundation to piggyback off of as they head into spring 7’s, eyeing a bid back into Nationals.