All About Liz

A few years ago I was coaching Northwestern University Men and one of my journalism major players (and a rather stellar #8) Dave Boucher wrote a piece about me for a final project. It was submitted to a few rugby publications and Sports Illustrated and you can view it here to get more of an idea of who (and why/how) I am.

Since that time I became a mom, resigned my post at Frontera Grill/Topolobampo, moved to Wisconsin, transitioned into the world of social media and marketing, and continued pursuing my dreams in the sport of rugby while juggling 15s and 7s as a player, coaching high school & collegiate sides, assisting at camps, and attending far too many conferences, AGMs and board meetings.

Still interested? In a nutshell my official rugby/coaching bio is as follows:

After a high school sports career playing volleyball, soccer, and on the boys football team, Liz Entwhistle attended Northwestern University from 1999-2003. There she began as a biomedical engineering major and later switched to mathematics. Sheplayed 4 years of rugby (and soccer) for the new women's program. During that time the team went from probationary status to back-to-back CARFU champions in 2001 and 2002, reaching the Midwest playoffs notching Sweet Sixteen wins. Liz also played for the CARFU U-23 Women's All-Star Team, CARFU Senior Women's All-Star Team, U-23 South ITT All-Star team and Chicago North Shore Summer 7s which won consecutive Midwest Championships.

Liz expanded her rugby career after college, playing Division 1 Women's Rugby with Chicago North Shore from 2003-2008 and  currently with Chicago Women's Rugby Club 15s and Chicago Lions Women's Club 7s. She continued playing for the CARFU U-23 and Senior All-Stars and has attended numerous developmental camps. She is also a member and USA Player Representative for the Toronto based Beavers International 7s Touring side comprised of players from the US, Canada, UK, Sweden. Czech Republic and New Zealand, the US/Canada/UK  Gypsies 15s Touring Side, as well as the Calgary based Sexy Mermaids 7s side. Liz has had the opportunities to travel as both a player and coach to nearly every US State and most Canadian Provinces and counts tours to England, Scotland, Wales, Tobago, and Argentina with several more to come.


Liz has continued her rugby education as a coach starting in fall of 2003 as an assistant with Northwestern's Men's team. She spent two years in that role and returned again in 2008 to lead the team to its first ever Top 25 National Ranking and a CARFU championship; NU also competed as one of only two purely collegiate sides on the Midwest Men's Qualifier 7s circuit with three players invited to the USA Rugby Collegiate All American 7s Camp. From 2004-2007 she served as head coach for New Trier High School Boy's Team and 7s program, working with former All-Americans and USA Eagles on her staff. Liz also coached with the Illinois U-17 and U-19 Boy's All-Star teams from 2004-2010, producing several High School All Americans. Since moving to Wisconsin has been active as a coach with the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee Lady Panther Rugby Football Club while also contributing to the development of the Rugby Academy of America.

While not playing or coaching rugby, Liz works in marketing and social media. She lives in Milwaukee and is the proud mom to a future Rugby All-American.


What this lacks is all the amazingness I attribute to the sport of rugby... the stories of these teams, my coaching inspiration, the support I've received from the rugby community over the past 14 years, and how there is no way I'd be handling life as a rugby mama without that same community. Stay posted for more to come - the real nuts and bolts in rugby are through the friendships made.