Wendy Young – 2020 – TRU Hall of Fame

Wendy began her rugby career in 2001 with the University of Oklahoma Roses. Drawn to the physical nature of the sport, she moved to Austin in 2006 to play for the Valkyries and was a member of the USA Rugby Women’s National Team Pool until 2009. During this same period, she launched Your Scrumhalf Connection (YSCRugby), which has grown to become the leading women’s rugby website in the United States.

Her career took a pivotal turn in 2008 after attending a referee course in Corpus Christi. She balanced life as a dual player and referee until 2011, when she retired from playing to focus on officiating full-time. Wendy rose through the ranks quickly and became the first woman to referee a Men’s D1 match in Texas and the first to officiate a Men’s TRU D1 Championship. Her excellence on the pitch led to her selection as a match official for the inaugural Women’s International Rugby Board (IRB, now known as World Rugby) 7s Circuit and the Women’s Premier League (WPL).

Parallel to her work with the whistle, Wendy was a dedicated coach for local and regional programs. Between 2008 and 2016, she led several elite select sides, including the West U23 and Senior 7s All Stars, the TRU U23 All Stars, and the Bluebonnet 7s. At the collegiate and club level, she coached the University of Texas 7s and 15s programs for several years and served as a coach for the Austin Valkyries. Her transition from the sidelines to the referee chair eventually evolved into a coaching role for officials. She became a referee coach in 2014 and was brought on as a developing referee coach for the WPL and MLR in 2019.

In 2009, Wendy was hired as the first Geographic Union Administrator for the Texas Rugby Union, a role she held through 2025. Her leadership also extended to governance, where she served as a USA Rugby Congress member from 2014 to 2016. She was a member of the Red River Competitions Committee for nearly a decade and served on the USA Rugby Club Competitions Committee from 2012 to 2024.

Throughout the 2010s, Wendy was a catalyst for streaming and commentating women’s rugby, including five years at the Women’s Invitational 7s Tournament in Las Vegas. Today, she is a prominent voice in the sport as a commentator for Major League Rugby (MLR), Women’s Elite Rugby (WER), and World Rugby. She also produces a weekly news segment that has surpassed 200 episodes and reaches thousands of viewers. Wendy remains active in the rugby community as the President of the Oklahoma Roses Alumni Association and an alumna of the Austin Valkyries.

Administration Experience

2020- 2024: USA Rugby Club Competitions Committee – Women’s Representative
2011 – Present: Austin Valkyries Alumni Liaison/Board Member
2013 – 2022: RRRC Competitions Committee
2010 – 2025: Texas Geographic Union (GU) Administrator
2012 – 2024: 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

2025-Present: Women’s Elite Rugby (WER) Play by Play Announcer
2023-Present: Major League Rugby (MLR) Play by Play Announcer
2023: First International World RugbyMatch – USA vs Canada as part of the Pacific Four Series
2018-Present: 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 – 2024: WPL Referee Coach
2020: MLR Referee Evaluator
2018: Promoted to B Panel & WPL Panel Referee, Coaching of Match Officials (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