- Alphonsi takes top award
- England star beats off tough opposition from Britain’s best athletes
England’s Rugby World Cup star Margaret Alphonsi has been named Sunday Times Sportswoman of the Year for 2010.
The England and Saracens flanker picked up the prestigious accolade at a star-studded reception in central London on Monday night.
The 26-year-old fought off stiff opposition from six of Britain’s finest female athletes, including world champion gymnast Beth Tweddle, cyclist Emma Pooley, Commonwealth swimmer Fran Halsall, Olympian skeleton rider Amy Williams and heptathlete Jessica Ennis.
Maggie delighted with award
After nominations were released earlier this month, it was the public vote that overwhelmingly crowned Alphonsi Sportswoman of the Year.
She won the heart of the public during September’s Rugby World Cup, which saw a record breaking 30,000 people attend the tournament over five match days.
Alphonsi has 49 England caps and won national acclaim for her ferocious tackling as England reached the final, her second successive final appearance.
She was named Woman of the Match in the tournament opener against Ireland and also went on to be shortlisted as Player of the Tournament.
A fantastic rugby community
Alphonsi said: "I am so delighted to pick up this award. Really, it is a huge shock because the calibre of other athletes I was up against was so high.
"What makes this award so special is that it is decided by the public vote, and that means a lot to me. It just shows what a fantastic rugby community is out there.
"I am, however, only in this position because of my fantastic 25 world cup teammates who all played a massive part in this success. Unfortunately we didn’t win the world cup but we got very close to it and we played some great rugby along the way.”
Alphonsi was also shortlisted alongside her teammates for Team of the Year.
England narrowly miss out on team award
The England team, who lost 13-10 to reigning world champions New Zealand in the final, faced equally tough opposition from double scull rowers Katherine Grainger and Anna Watkiss, and Lawn Bowls Commonwealth gold medal winners Ellen Falkner and Amy Monkhouse.
The winning team, Grainger and Watkiss, was decided by a panel of judges, chaired by BBC Radio 5 Live presenter Eleanor Oldroyd.
Now in their 23rd year, the Sportswomen of the Year Awards are among the most prestigious and influential in the British sporting calendar.
As well as celebrating high-profile female athletes, with previous winners include Paula Radcliffe, Pippa Funnell, Denise Lewis, Dame Kelly Holmes and Zara Phillips, the event recognises women at all levels of British sporting life.