Margaret Alphonsi (born 20 December 1983) is an English former rugby union player who played as a

flanker Flanker may refer to: * Flanker (perfume), a newly created perfume sharing attributes of an existing one * Flanker (rugby union), a position in rugby union (not found in rugby league) * ''Su-27 Flanker'' (video game), a 1996 computer game modelin ...

for Saracens W.R.F.C. and England before retiring in 2014. She was Sunday Times Sportswoman of the Year in 2010, and was inducted into the World Rugby Hall of Fame in November 2016 during the opening ceremonies for the Hall's first physical location in Rugby, Warwickshire. Alphonsi was appointed a Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) in the

2012 Birthday Honours The Birthday Honours List 2012 was released on 16 June 2012 in the United Kingdom. on 11 June 2012 in Australia on 4 June 2012 in New Zealand,Lewisham, south London to single-parent family, and was born with club foot, which she had to overcome in order to play rugby. Alphonsi was named to the

2014 World Cup The 2014 FIFA World Cup was the 20th FIFA World Cup, the quadrennial world championship for men's national football teams organised by FIFA. It took place in Brazil from 12 June to 13 July 2014, after the country was awarded the hosting righ ...

Dream Team. She retired shortly after England won the 2014 World Cup in France and now continues to coach and promote female participation and coaching in sport. She was a Rugby World Cup 2015 Ambassador and is an ambassador of several not-for-profits and charities including Peace One Day, Wooden Spoon, Sporting Equals and SKRUM which aims to give the youth of Africa hope for the future through rugby. Go Maggie!! Maggie Alphonsi

She has played in two Rugby World Cups and in 2012 shared in a record seventh successive Six Nations title and a sixth Grand Slam in seven years. She won the Pat Marshall award from the Rugby Union Writers’ Club, where she pipped New Zealand captain, Richie McCaw, to become the first woman to claim the prize in its 50-year history. She joined Gareth Malone and other celebrities in making the 2014 Children in Need official single. Alphonsi attempted to qualify to compete in the

2016 Rio Olympics ) , nations = 207 (including IOA and EOR teams) , athletes = 11,238 , events = 306 in 28 sports (41 disciplines) , opening = 5 August 2016 , closing = 21 August 2016 , opened_by = Vice President Michel Temer , cauldron = Vanderlei Cordeiro de ...

in the

shot put The shot put is a track and field event involving "putting" (throwing) a heavy spherical ball—the ''shot''—as far as possible. The shot put competition for men has been a part of the modern Olympics since their revival in 1896, and women's ...

. In 2019, Alphonsi was on the voting panel for the World Rugby Men's 15 Player of the Year award, the World Rugby Team of the Year award, and World Rugby Coach of the Year award. Alphonsi holds an MSc in Sports & Exercise from Roehampton University, a BSc in Sports & Exercise from De Montfort University, and a BTEC National Diploma in Leisure Studies from Hertford Regional College. She was awarded an Honorary Doctor of Arts by the University of Bedfordshire.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Alphonsi, Maggie 1983 births Living people England women's international rugby union players English female rugby union players Rugby union flankers Members of the Order of the British Empire Black British sportswomen Rugby union players from Lewisham English people of Nigerian descent World Rugby Hall of Fame inductees The Sunday Times Sportswoman of the Year winners England international women's rugby sevens players Saracens Women rugby players