Tam Breckenridge

At 5’ 11”, Tam Breckenridge was one of those California athletic goddesses we all dream will come out for our rugby teams. 

She was a member of UCLA's women’s 1978 national championship basketball team. After a shoulder injury, she left basketball behind and took up rugby full time, playing for UCLA, Southern California, Santa Monica, and Belmont Shore. She helped the Pacific Coast Grizzlies win the national all-star championships in 1991 and 1992 and Belmont Shore to a national senior club title in 1990.

In that time Tam, cemented herself as the best lock in the game and a beast in lineouts. She represented the U.S. from 1988-94 and was a member of the 1991 Championship Women’s World Cup team. Tam played in 8 international matches, boasting a 6-2 record.

A devoted Bruin, Tam served in the UCLA Athletics Department for over 20 years, including as Assistant Athletic Director. She was also an integral part of USAR, advancing rugby at the community and national levels. For over 12 years, Tam served as the Director of Collegiate Rugby, a thankless task. For the past 8 years, she has served as the Women's National Pathway Manager at USA Rugby and the Eligibility Chair for Senior Women’s Club Rugby. Like most locks, Tam is willing to take on those tasks most of us would run from… Her 46 years in rugby have been all about stewarding and advancing the sport. 

This is not Tam's first Award rodeo, in 2020 she was inducted into the U.S. Rugby Hall of Fame for a second time - she was inducted in 2017 as part of the 1991 World Cup team. Tam was inducted in the UCLA Athletic Hall of Fame as a member of the 1978 National Championship Basketball team and finally into the Crescenta Valley High School Athletic Hall of Fame.

Tam is married, retired, and lives in Cobble Hill, BC (Canada).