Maggie Alphonsi Discusses Women’s Game At Sport Industry Private Dining Club

Rugby World Cup winner and sports broadcaster, Maggie Alphonsi, joined the final Sport Industry Private Dining Club, hosted by Integro Entertainment & Sport of the year on Thursday.

Organisations in the room included Ascot Racecourse, British Rowing, Coutts, ECB, ESPN, European Tour, Formula One Management, IMG, Marks & Spencer, Vitality and Women in Football, as well as the newly appointed commercial director of Leicester City FC, Jonathan Gregory.

Alphonsi explored the growth of rugby for both the men’s and women’s game and what she expects for the sport going forward.

“Over the last ten years the game has changed so much. You’ve got professional athletes who look and sound the part and sponsors want to back them. There’s now lots of girls and boys thinking ‘I want to be like that athlete’.”

“The game is very different to ten years ago as well, the athletes are bigger and stronger but what I love about the women’s game right now is that there’s still room to improve. In the women’s game there’s so much progress being made – the strength, the pace, and creativity is starting to improve in the game. It’s going in the right direction.”

Since retiring from professional rugby, the World Cup winner has enjoyed a successful move into broadcasting, something that she feels her career in rugby helped prepare her for.

“One of the biggest things I always say is it’s about stepping out of your comfort zone, even if it’s with one foot in comfort and one foot stepping out to start with. That’s what I love about commentating, it’s very challenging and I get that same buzz as I did from playing rugby.”

For the second year, Maggie is part of Sport Industry NextGen in partnership with Barclays, which recognises tomorrow’s leaders, rewards their potential and nurtures their growth. As a Sport Industry NextGen Coach, she will offer her experience and skills to mentor the Sport Industry NextGen Leaders.

“It’s incredibly important to identify the next generation of leaders and highlight the fact we welcome their leadership skills and it’ll only benefit the industry. I learn from them, what they’re going through is so interesting. Leadership is a key topic right now and it’s really relevant for the industry as a whole, it’s an exciting thing to be a part of.”

Alphonsi also recalled her time being coached by now England coach, Eddie Jones, while at Saracens, stating she learnt a lot from his unique leadership style and had confidence in the national team with the Australian at the helm.

“I think Eddie is brilliant at what he does, his experience is something that he’s bottled up and perfected down the years. He’s challenged himself in so many ways, he’s worked in Japan, South Africa, Europe and Australia and I think what he’s brought to England has an intensity and attitude.

“I was a very big fan of Stuart Lancaster and he created the culture, now Jones is taking it to the next level.”

Finally, while taking questions from the audience, Maggie argued her case for young girls taking up the sport, offering three key reasons to pick up a rugby ball: “Firstly, I’ve always said regardless of what size or shape you are, there’s a role for you. It’s one of the only sports that you can look down the line and see such variety. There’s always a place for you.

“Secondly, when you’re playing rugby you’re playing with your friends. Even though I don’t play anymore I still have such a close relationship with my ex-teammates. Even referees, we still have a friendship.

“The final thing – and I know it sounds cliché -is the values that it gives you. It really promotes discipline and it sorted my life out – if it wasn’t for rugby, I’d hate to think where I would be today.”

The invitation-only members club meets four times a year at some of the best venues in London, providing top level representatives from across the sport industry with the opportunity to network and socialise in an informal and relaxed setting.

The Sport Industry Private Dining Club is hosted by Integro Entertainment & Sport, an international insurance brokerage and risk management firm, with a specialised entertainment and sport practice that focuses in designing insurance policies to meet the needs of industry organisations.

To find out more about the Sport Industry Private Dining Club please contact Alex Coulson, executive director, Sport Industry Group, at alex.coulson@benchmarksport.com.