
Staff & Coaches

Director Marybeth Mathews
Bowdoin College Head Coach Emerita, Varsity Womenβs Rugby
Following a successful career leading the Varsity Polar Bears to multiple conference and national titles, and advocating for the sport regionally and nationally, Coach Mathews retired in Summer 2023 after her 29th year coaching rugby at Bowdoin College.Β Committed to the growth and support of girlβs and womenβs rugby, she will remain active hosting Polar Bear Rugby Camp, the first camp in the US for girls and women.Β Multiple contributions and recognitions as a player, coach and administrator over her 40+ year career led Mathews to be selected as one of eight women to receive the Inaugural Kathy Flores Lifetime Achievement Award for dedication and service to rugby. Mathews now serves on the Board of the U.S. Women’s Rugby Foundation.
Bowdoinβs Varsity Rugby program consistently graduates top leaders in their academic fields and turns out winning seasons on the pitch, including five New England Championships, bids to regional (2006, 2007, 2011 through 2017) and national championships (2007, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2019).Β Bowdoin Rugby has produced numerous high school and college coaches, referees, 14 Collegiate All-Americans, hundreds of All-Academics, and two USA National team members. Mathews and her husband/assistant coach Bob took the team on 7 international tours, once every four years.
Other Staff
- Farrah Douglas β Thomas College, Head NCAA Coach, former USA Scrum Coach, USAR HSAA Coach, retired USA Eagle and Mount St. Maryβs Head Coach,
- James Read β Bowdoin College Asst. Coach; Southampton, England; Havant RFC England
- Emily Record β Head Womenβs Varsity Coach, University of New Haven
- Olivia Benzan-Daniel β Beantown member, Head Coach Brandeis College & St. Maryβs H.S.
- Russell Earnshaw β Bristol, UK: former RFU player, RFU U18 coach, RFU Level 4 Coach, Pathway Coach Developer and High Performance Coach for England, Co-founder of The Magic Academy
- Laura Miller – Bowdoin Women’s Varsity Coach, retired US Eagle
- Jenna Clukey β former Bowdoin player & captain, Jenna plays for Beantownβs WPL
- Nicole Gayer-Bernsen β Head Women’s Varsity Coach, Alfred University, NY
- Jonathan Griffin – PhD, MSc, PGDip, CASES, Csi. Human Performance Coach, Mentor, from Ireland, former Coach Loughborough Uni, Stanford Univ (3 x DI Nat’l Champion), Richmond Women, London-Irish/Abu Dhabi


