Maggie Alphonsi

Rugby World Cup winner, inspirational speaker, and sports commentator

Rugby World Cup winner with England in 2014
Inducted into the World Rugby Hall of Fame in 2016
Represented England 74 times, scoring 28 tries
Seven-time Six Nations champion
First female rugby player to commentate on men’s international rugby for ITV

Full Profile

Maggie Alphonsi MBE is a pioneering figure in women’s rugby, celebrated for her exceptional playing career and her continued impact as a commentator, speaker, and ambassador. Known for her powerful presence both on and off the field, Maggie’s journey from a world-class athlete to a prominent media professional is truly inspirational.

Rugby career

Maggie Alphonsi’s rugby career is marked by her outstanding achievements with the England national team. She earned 74 caps, scored 28 tries, and played a crucial role in securing the 2014 Rugby World Cup victory. Maggie also helped England clinch seven consecutive Six Nations titles, becoming a household name and an icon in women’s sports. Her exceptional contributions to the sport were recognized with her induction into the World Rugby Hall of Fame in 2016.

Media and commentary

After retiring from international rugby, Maggie transitioned to a successful career in sports media. In 2015, she made history as the first former female player to commentate on men’s international rugby for ITV. She continues to be a prominent voice in rugby, contributing to ITV Sport, Sky Sports, and the BBC. Maggie is also a regular columnist for The Telegraph, sharing her insights and expertise on the sport.

Awards and recognitions

In addition to her Hall of Fame induction, Maggie was honored as the Sunday Times Sportswoman of the Year in 2010, highlighting her significant contributions to sports and her status as a role model for aspiring athletes.

Ambassador and advocacy

Beyond her media career, Maggie is an active ambassador for various high-profile brands and charities. She has worked with organizations like Land Rover, Mastercard, and HSBC, promoting diversity, inclusion, and mental health awareness. Maggie’s dedication to giving back is evident in her involvement with several charitable initiatives and her role in the Rugby Football Union’s Council, where she influences diversity and inclusion policies.

Maggie Alphonsi’s dynamic speaking style and powerful stories inspire and motivate audiences across various sectors. Her ability to connect with people and share her journey with authenticity makes her a highly sought-after speaker for events and conferences.

Talks

Understanding pressure

The psychology of winning

Transferring skills

Pressure management

Working in a male environment

Mentoring and coaching performance mindsets

Challenging perceptions

Available for

Speaking Themes

Peak Performance

Languages

English

Click the button below to check Maggie Alphonsi's fees and availability for your event.

Videos

Testimonials

Maggie kindly agreed to speak at the WACL (Women's advertising club of London) 'Gather' event, an annual conference run by our club to inspire and inform young women in the marketing and media community. Maggie gave an exceptionally compelling talk on her life and career, focusing on what drove and motivated her throughout. Not only is she a hugely successful elite sportswoman she also has the rare gift of being able to communicate what it takes to achieve those heights in a thoroughly engaging and accessible way. The feedback from the attendees was exceptional for the event and Maggie's talk resonated with all.

Frances Ralston-Good

Co-chair, Gather 2015

Maggie is an incredibly inspirational speaker. Her presentation was topical and acknowledged the important role that teachers, PE and sport plays in lives. She presented with high energy, emotion, empathy and humour and ignited the audience. She was awesome!

Mike Crichton

Chair, National Association for Physical Education (afPE)

Having heard lots about what a great addition to an event Maggie would be, she did not disappoint - from the moment she arrived, her warm smile and easy manner made her a fantastic guest - she was happy to be interviewed, delivering passionate viewpoints about her personal story in rugby then chatting effortlessly to staff - and then taking part in a very honest way in our panel discussion - finally, joining us for drinks and more chatting after, she was just brilliant and inspiring - as well as incredibly honest which is so refreshing. We really enjoyed having her and everyone commented that she was a fantastic addition to the event.

Philippa Piper

Clifford Chance LLP

Maggie was just excellent at our Grand Women’s Summit event at the Crabees Grand National Ladies Day. In addition to being absolutely inspiring on the panel and offering thought provoking views on gender balance and her on experiences, she was just brilliant to have on board in terms of speaking with the media and interacting with the delegates. The guests attending they felt very comfortable approaching and speaking with Maggie and discussing their own experiences with her, which added even more to the event experience.

Harriet Rochester

Women in Racing

Wow! You have left quite a mark on our school. Since your visit with us, your words and you as an individual have become embedded within our narrative and essence. I hear staff referring to you and what you said all the time, and due to the quality of the way that you connected with us, we have made significant changes without really making significant changes. We seem more focused, clearer in our goals and hungry to want to work for each other, and more aware of how important each of us and our roles, however simple they may seem are in helping achieve the ‘gold’ we are looking for. I do not think that it would be unreasonable or too over dramatic to say that you have been one of the most powerful things to have happened to our school in the 4 years that I have been here, and for that we are all enormously grateful.

James Everitt

Head Master, Barnham Primary School

Maggie spoke at our staff engagement day; to hear her talk about overcoming adversity and aiming for the best in life was incredibly motivational. It was just what we needed to energise us before we embarked on an afternoon of delivering community projects - she is truly inspirational.

Jo Savage

Chief Executive, Wellingborough Homes

Maggie’s keynote address to open our professional services conference was superb. Maggie connected brilliantly with the audience and there were even some cheers at the end as well as very loud applause. Lots of people commented afterwards how great the talk was and Maggie was mobbed by people wanting to speak to her! I really enjoyed working with Maggie as she was so easy to get on with and a great addition to our day.

Wendy Appleby

Head of Student & Registry Services, UCL