Wendy Young – 2020

Wendy began her rugby career in 2001 at the University of Oklahoma with the Roses. Having played sports her entire life and wanting to be more physical, tackling and hitting was right up her alley. In 2006 she moved to Austin to play for the Valkyries and was a member of the USA Rugby Women’s National Team Pool until 2009.

In 2008 she took a referee course in Corpus Christi to learn more about the laws and her career took another turn. She was bit again but this time by the whistle. She was a dual player and referee until 2011 when she retired from playing to become a full-time referee. She rose through the ranks quickly becoming the first female to referee a Men’s D1 match in Texas (fourth or fifth in the Nation), the first female to hold the whistle in the Men’s TRU D1 Championship, was selected as a match official on the inaugural Women’s IRB 7s Circuit and referee in the Women’s Premier League.

Throughout the 2010s, she was a catalyst for streaming and commentating women’s rugby matches all over the United States including five years at the Women’s Invitational 7s Tournament in Las Vegas, NV. She also helped stream and commentate multiple USA Rugby Women’s XVs events including the 2010 Rugby World Cup in England.

While playing and refereeing, she was hired as the first Geographic Union Administrator for the Texas Rugby Union in 2009 (TRU was first to move to a Geographical Union and have a paid administrator). Wendy became a referee coach in 2014 but really found her stride when she was brought on as a developing referee coach for the WPL and MLR in 2019.

She was a USA Rugby Congress member from 2014-2016 and she has served on the Red River Competitions Committee since 2013. She served on an ad hoc basis as a USA Rugby Competitions subcommittee member and is now officially part of the USA Rugby Club Competitions Committee.

Wendy continues as one of the TRU Administrator, is involved as an alumni with the Oklahoma Roses and Austin Valkyries, is a match official for Major League Rugby and continues to manage the leading women’s rugby website, Your Scrumhalf Connection in the United States since 2006.

Administration Experience

  • 2020- Present: USA Rugby Club Competitions Committee – Women’s Representative
  • 2020 – Present: Austin Valkyries Alumni Liaison/Board Member
  • 2013 – Present: RRRC Competitions Committee
  • 2010 – Present: Texas Geographic Union (GU) Administrator
  • 2012 – 2020: USA Rugby Competitions Sub-committee Member
  • 2014 – 2016: USA Rugby Congress Member
  • 2007 – 2011: Austin Valkyries Board Member
  • 2002 – 2006: Oklahoma Rugby Board Member, Oklahoma Rugby Inc (ORI) Board Member

Media Experience

  • 2023-Present: Major League Rugby (MLR) Play by Play Announcer
  • 2018-2020: Lead Commentator for RRRC & TRU Championships
  • 2018: Color commentator WPL Championships
  • 2013- 2018: Lead commentator Las Vegas Invitational 7s Tournament
  • 2010: Journalist at 2010 WRWC

Referee Experience

  • 2018 – 2022: Austin MLR Technical Zone Manager
  • 2018 – 2022: USA Rugby Technical Zone Manager for Test Matches
  • 2019 – Present: WPL Referee Coach
  • 2020: MLR Referee Evaluator
  • 2018: Promoted to B Panel & WPL Panel Referee, CMO 2, USA Rugby Female Referee Coach of the Year
  • 2014: CMO 1 and promoted to C1
  • 2011: Promoted to C2
  • 2010:  Promoted to C3
  • 2008: Referee Certification

Referee Highlights

  • Lifetime Member of Texas Rugby Referee Association (2019)
  • USA Rugby Female Referee Coach of the Year (2018)
  • Events: HSBC 7s Series, USA Rugby Club Championships XVs, 7s & 7s All Stars, USA Rugby College Championships XVs, & 7s, USA Rugby WPL Championships, Collegiate Rugby Championship 7s, National Small College Rugby Organization XVs Championships, National High School Championships, Red River Rugby Conference XVs and 7s, West XVs & 7s Championships, First female in Texas to referee Men’s D1 Championship & Men’s D1 Match

Coach Experience

  • 2014 – 2016: Bluebonnet 7s Select Coach
  • 2011 – 2014: University of Texas (UT) 15s Coach
  • 2009 – 2014: UT 7s Coach
  • 2013: West Senior 7s All Stars Coach
  • 2011 – 2012: Austin Valkyries 15s & 7s Coach
  • 2008 – 2011: West U23 All Stars Coach
  • 2008 – 2012: Texas Rugby Union U23 All Stars Coach

Playing Experience

  • 2006 – 2012: Austin Valkyries, Match Secretary & Webmaster
  • 2006 – 2009: USA Women’s National Team 15s Pool Player, USA A vs Canada A, USA A vs Ireland A
  • 2004 – 2012: West Senior 15s All Star Player
  • 2004 – 2007: West Senior 7s All Star Player
  • 2003 – 2004: West U23 15s All Star Player
  • 2001 – 2006: University of Oklahoma Collegiate Player, Captain, Match Secretary & Webmaster

Other

  • 2006 – Present: Creator & Editor of Your Scrumhalf Connection website
  • 2018 – Present: Women’s Rugby Coaches & Referees Association (WRCRA) Member
  • 2020 – Texas Rugby Referee Association Lifetime Member
  • 2020 – Texas Rugby Union Hall of Fame
  • 2014 – Oklahoma Rugby Hall of Fame