0
0
Five years ago this week, the women’s rugby community lost Kathy Flores — a pioneer, coach and mentor. She was the first captain of the USA Women’s Rugby Team, the first woman to coach a national rugby team, and a coach who led the All Blues to eleven national championships. Above all, she was a mentor who measured success by the people she lifted up.
“The thing I love most about my sport is the sense of confidence and self-esteem it gives to young women.” — Kathy Flores
Her influence lives on in the leaders who played for her, coached beside her, and built the game she loved. This week, the U.S. Women’s Rugby Foundation is proud to introduce the 2027 Kathy Flores Lifetime Achievement Award Winners, honoring her legacy with their dedication to women’s rugby. Celebrate the honorees at the 2027 Women’s Rugby Coaches & Referees Association Conference, Jan. 15-17 in Minneapolis.
ALEX WILLIAMS
Alex was inducted into the U.S. Rugby Hall of Fame in 2018, she is only the fourth woman to receive this honor and is a key figure in American rugby. A five-time national champion and two-time Division 1 MVP, she represented the U.S. in three Rugby World Cups (1994, 1998, 2002) and retired in 2004 as the second most-capped female player.
After her playing career, she became a national team coach for two additional World Cups, earned four national coaching titles, co-founded the Women’s Premier League (WPL), and directed USA Rugby’s high-performance programs, as well as leading Southern California Youth Rugby.
BECKY CARLSON
Becky is currently the Director of Athletics at the University of Maine at Kent and a pioneering leader in collegiate sports, particularly in NCAA women’s rugby. After playing and coaching at Eastern Illinois University, the first NCAA women’s rugby program, she managed USA Rugby’s Emerging Sports Initiative and co-founded the National Intercollegiate Rugby Association (NIRA).
In 2010, she became the first female NCAA Division I head coach in women’s rugby at Quinnipiac University, building the program from scratch and leading the Bobcats to three consecutive national championships from 2015 to 2017. A 2024 graduate of Tulane University School of Law and founder of The Fearless Coach platform, her legacy includes a network of women she has mentored who now lead collegiate athletic departments across the country.
TANIA HAHN
As the CEO and founder of Hahn Enterprises, she is a pioneering athlete and philanthropist dedicated to advancing American rugby. A standout player with teams such as the New Orleans Half Moons and the 1998 World Cup squad, she has made a lasting impact on the sport.
As a founding board member of the U.S. Women’s Rugby Foundation and co-founder of the American Rugby Pro Training Center— the first elite training facility for women and girls—she actively supports female players through hiring and mentoring as they transition to the professional workforce.
WENDY YOUNG
Wendy, a multifaceted leader in sports, has significantly advanced women’s rugby as a journalist, national team athlete, coach, referee, and administrator. In 2006, she founded Your Scrumhalf Connection (YSC), turning it into a premier news outlet for women’s rugby.
A member of the USA Women’s National Team from 2006 to 2009, she also played for the University of Oklahoma and the Austin Valkyries, while coaching at the University of Texas and various select programs.
As a trailblazing referee, she became the first woman to officiate a Men’s Division I match in Texas, worked in the HSBC World Rugby Sevens Series, and was named the 2018 USA Rugby Female Referee Coach of the Year. She has dedicated decades to the USA Rugby Congress and regional rugby unions.
Keep Her Legacy Growing
The Kathy Flores Memorial Fund supports the next generation of women’s rugby coaches through travel grants, mentorship, and coach development. A gift in Kathy’s name this week helps the game keep growing.