Another major honour for Alphonsi
England women's rugby star Maggie Alphonsi has become the first ever female player to win the top Rugby Union Writers...
Published by Alison Donnelly, January 11, 2011
2 minute read
Alphonsi was handed the prestigious Pat Marshall Memorial Award - beating off competition from the likes of Richie McCaw and Brendan Venter and in doing so is the first women's player to pick up the gong in the awards' 50-year history.
The award comes in the month following another sensational award win for the flanker, who was named the beating off far more fancied names such as Olympic gold medallist Amy Williams and Jessica Ennis, the face of UK athletics.
The awards came following Alphonsi's magnificent performances in the Women's Rugby World Cup. Over the weekend Alphonsi also scored a hatrick for her club Saracens and she will be part of the England 6 Nations bid in the coming months.
RUWC chairman Paul Morgan, who is also the editor of Rugby World Magazines said: "In 2010 Maggie Alphonsi made a huge impact on the sport and emerged as one of the game's great ambassadors.
"The fact that she beat Brendan Venter, Richie McCaw and Victor Matfield in the final voting shows the esteem in which she is held within the Rugby Writers' Club, having helped take the women's game to a new level in 2010. Maggie is a worthy winner."