November 27th, 2006

England and Saracens flanker Margaret Alphonsi was last night (Sunday) named the Women’s Rugby Personality of the Year at the International Rugby Board’s Awards ceremony, in association with Emirates Airline.

22-year-old Alphonsi was short-listed against New Zealand fly-half Anna Richards and France number eight Delphine Plantet for the prestigious prize, with the awards ceremony held at the historic Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum in the heart of Glasgow, Scotland.

Alphonsi, who is a rugby development officer for Saracens, played in all of England’s five IRB Rugby World Cup games this September in Edmonton, Canada including the 25-17 defeat to New Zealand in the final.

She said: “I am so pleased to have won this award. I have really enjoyed this season, being part of a team that won the Six Nations Grand Slam and finishing as runners-up in the IRB Rugby World Cup final has been terrific, though of course we would have preferred to win the latter. To win this award has certainly capped off a great year.

“The whole of the England team worked so hard to get where we are today and it’s a shame that we came so close in the final of the Rugby World Cup and to then not come away with the prize we desperately wanted, but hopefully this award will go some way, for all the members of the squad, in knowing that what we achieved in Canada has been recognised.

“To be put in the same category as both Anna and Delphine to start with is a great honor. Anna had a fantastic world cup and was certainly one of the main reasons why we didn’t win the final, while Delphine was one of France’s key and most consistent performers during the tournament. That’s why it was such a shock for me to win.

“Personally for me the world cup was one of my playing career highlights. The standard of rugby throughout the three weeks was impressive and as a whole I think the tournament went along way to raising the profile of our sport.”

Alphonsi is the second English women’s rugby player to win this award with Wasps fly-half Shelley Rae also scooping the award in 2002.

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