Meet the Voices of the November 14 Broadcast

The livestream crew has its commentators for November 14. Noah Wright and Tony Ridnell will call the Vikings' 1st XV match against BYU at the deWilde Rugby & Polo Fields in Ferndale.

Both are established voices in Northwest rugby. They know Western, they know the clubs and players across the region, and they bring a level of commentary that college rugby in the Pacific Northwest rarely gets. They'll be sitting right on the touchline, and both are excited to be part of it.

There's good news on the campaign too: alumni and supporters have given $300 toward our $2,500 goal.

Noah Wright, play-by-play

Noah will call the action. He has played the game at a high level, including at Central Washington University and a short stint in Major League Rugby, and he currently plays for Seattle Rugby Club. He also has a family connection to the program: his younger brother Marek is a freshman Viking this year and has already earned a starting role.

Noah has been behind the microphone before, too:

"Yes, I used to commentate youth football games when I was in high school. And I did my education at Central Washington, where I majored in communications with a specialization in broadcast journalism."

Tony Ridnell, color commentary

Tony will add the analysis. He is the current color commentator for the Seattle Seawolves, a former USA Eagle, and a coach at Seattle Rugby Club. He brings years of experience at the top level of the American game, and his voice moves the Western broadcast toward a standard of professionalism the Pacific Northwest hasn't seen in college rugby.

Thank you to the alumni who made it happen

Getting two commentators of this caliber on the call took help from the Western Rugby Alumni. Thank you to Nicole Mathis for helping Noah and Tony get involved, and to every alum who has supported the broadcast so far.

Campaign update: $300 raised

The Livestream Campaign has raised $300 of its $2,500 goal, with $2,200 still to go. Thank you to everyone who has already given. Every gift goes toward the cables, converters and power the crew needs to broadcast from any field, including deWilde, where the crew runs long extension cords from the clubhouse to reach the cameras.

Our goal is to bring high-quality rugby to our alumni, parents, friends and fans wherever they are. If you've been meaning to give, now is the time to help the crew reach the goal.

A lot goes into a livestream

Broadcast director George Jelley, a current player, is leading the effort. He plans every broadcast, trains the crew, and is recruiting people to help on the ground on match day. Cameras, cables, sound, graphics and commentary all have to come together before kickoff. If you'll be at deWilde on November 14 and want to lend a hand, contact us.

Match day: Saturday, November 14

deWilde Rugby & Polo Fields, Ferndale, Washington

• 10:00 AM: Women vs. Washington State University
• 11:00 AM: Men's 3rd XV vs. University of Washington
• 1:00 PM: Men's 1st XV vs. BYU, with Noah Wright and Tony Ridnell on the call
• 2:45 PM: Men's 2nd XV vs. Central Washington University

Can't make it to Ferndale? Watch live at wwurugby.org/watch.

Help the crew reach $2,500

1. Go to the donation page: wwurugby.org/alumni
2. Designate your gift to the Livestream Campaign so it goes directly to the broadcast.
3. Give any amount. Every gift moves the crew closer to $2,500.

Thank you for your support. We'll keep pushing forward for November 14 and every broadcast after it.

Donate to the Livestream Campaign →