Liza Burgess
Liza 'Bird' Burgess is a Welsh women's rugby union player who was a member of the 2018 World Rugby Hall of Fame class of inductees. Nicknamed Bird, her career spanned three decades, which included participating in the Wales Women's first-ever international in 1987, captaining Wales 62 times, playing in four World Cups, and coaching in two World Cups.[1]
| Birth name | Liza Jane Burgess | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Date of birth | 24 March 1964 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Place of birth | Newport, Wales | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Height | 180 cm (5 ft 11 in) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Weight | 79 kg (174 lb; 12 st 6 lb) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| University | Loughborough University | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Occupation(s) | Assistant Headteacher | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Rugby union career | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Official WRU Webpage | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Rugby
Burgess' rugby career started at Loughborough University in 1983 (coached by Jim Greenwood) and continued at the Wasps after graduating. In 1986, Buress made her international debut playing for Great Britain against the Netherlands and France.[2] She would then help form the Saracens, playing with the club for a decade and leading the side to the first treble recorded in the women’s domestic game (League and Cup in 15s and the National Sevens).[3]
After retiring from playing, Burgess has since coached the Wales women's national rugby union team forwards (and the under-20s national team) and is an assistant at the Gloucester Hartpury in the Tyrrells Premier 15s. Burgess was also the assistant coach for the inaugural Barbarian women's team in 2017. While teaching in London, she encouraged Maggie Alphonsi to play rugby.[4]
Burgess was the first woman to join the Welsh Rugby Union national council as a member in September 2019.[5] Also in 2019, she was on the first panel to determine the World Rugby women's-15s player-of-the-year award with Melodie Robinson, Danielle Waterman, Will Greenwood, Lynne Cantwell, Fiona Coghlan, Gaëlle Mignot, Jillion Potter, Stephen Jones, and Karl Te Nana.[6]
References
- "Trailblazer Burgess Honoured by Hall of Fame Induction". Six Nations Rugby. 12 September 2018. Retrieved 14 September 2018.
- "Burgess aiming to help Wales to new heights". Scrum Queens. Retrieved 16 September 2018.
- "HoF Bio:Liza Burgess". World Rugby. Retrieved 16 September 2018.
- Cole, Rob (17 August 2018). "Legend Liza Burgess To Step Into Hall Of Fame With Ronan O'Gara And Stephen Larkham". Dai Sport. Retrieved 5 September 2018.
- "Wales legend Gerald Davies elected WRU president". BBC Sport. 30 September 2019. Retrieved 1 October 2019.
- worldrugby.org. "Stars join new-look World Rugby Awards panels". www.world.rugby. Retrieved 24 March 2019.