By Zim Sport Live Writer
Former Zimbabwe Under-20 rugby international Alex Nyamunda has capped off a remarkable season in the United States after being named the National Collegiate Rugby (NCR) Division I Player of the Year.
Nyamunda, who turns out for Wheeling University in West Virginia, received the prestigious accolade ahead of the NCR Men’s National All-Star Challenge held in Atlanta, Georgia, which features the top collegiate rugby talent in the country.
The highly-rated Zimbabwean centre made history by becoming the first Wheeling University player to win the award after leading the Cardinals to the NCR Division I 15s National Quarterfinals.
“I am so proud of Alex, he’s proven countless times that he is deserving of this award,” said Wheeling Head Coach Maxwell Hamilton. “As a program it’s an honour to have him play for us and to be part of his journey to winning NCR’s first-ever DI Player of the Year award.”
A former Lomagundi College student, Nyamunda was a key member of the Zimbabwe Under-20 side that won back-to-back Rugby Africa Under-20 Barthés Trophy titles in 2022 and 2023 before earning a rugby scholarship to the US.
He is now strongly tipped to graduate into the Zimbabwe senior national team, the Sables, who last year secured qualification for the 2027 Rugby World Cup in Australia.
Nyamunda enjoyed a historic campaign for Wheeling University, finishing the season with a team-best 16 tries, amassing 80 points.
He announced himself in style with four tries in the season opener against IUP and went on to score multiple tries in six of the team’s 10 matches, including a hat-trick in the national quarterfinal against Queens University of Charlotte.
His three-try haul in that match saw him break Wheeling’s 13-year-old single-season try record, previously set at 15.
Earlier in the season, he had already set a new career 15s try record for the Cardinals in a 36–17 win over Kutztown, surpassing the previous mark before becoming the first player in the program’s history to eclipse 30 career tries.
He now sits on 31 career tries with another season still to play.
This is Nyamunda’s second successive double-digit try season after scoring 11 last year. His exploits also earned him All-Atlantic Rugby Conference honours, adding to his previous All Big Rivers Rugby Conference recognition.
He was named an NCR Scholastic All-American in 2024 and an NCR All-American in 2025.
Wheeling University are now preparing for the upcoming 7s season set to begin in February, with Nyamunda once again expected to play a central role.