Elizabeth Trujillo has the honor to play for, arguably, one of the best women’s rugby clubs in the country. Having had the honor to put on a USA Eagles jersey, it is no surprise she is one of the team’s core players.
Trujillo got her start with rugby during her time at the Naval academy. A flier initially caught her attention and after tryouts she was hooked. “I went to rugby tryouts after seeing a flyer about it in a hallway and fell in love with the sport. The camaraderie and support from the girls on the team was something that I had never experienced before,” the scrum-half explained.
No surprise that the Zion, Ill. native’s favorite moment comes when she had the honor only a select few get to experience, putting on a USA Eagles jersey.
This moment came in 2010 during the Las Vegas 7’s tournament that year. After being split into two teams, Trujillo was named starting scrum-half of hers. Being it that this was the first time she had played 7’s, this tournament had presented new challenges to overcome.
She continued, “Waiting in the tunnel to run out into the stadium for our game was exhilarating. China kicked off to us to start the game and I remember the ball being kicked to my side. I wasn’t the one who caught it, but I was one of the first ones to touch the ball after the kick off. I also remember coach telling me that I would be subbed out at half, so to leave everything on the field and due to an injury during the first half, I ended up playing the entire game.”
Playing for the San Diego Surfers has been an incredible opportunity for Trujillo. With the Olympic Training Center right up the road, they get a lot of top talent going through the program. More importantly, the team has served as a family as well. “The Surfers, more than any team I have ever played for, is a family. They are extremely welcoming and do a great job of organizing fundraisers and off season events to maintain and improve the team bond and culture. I truly enjoy playing for the Surfers and feel really fortunate that I was able to end up in SD to meet all the wonderful women on the team and supporters of the team.”