Maggie Alphonsi has got the Sevens bug since helping England’s Women, under the banner of their charity partner Sporting Chance, emerge victorious at the Dubai Sevens in late November.
Alphonsi now hopes to return to Dubai in March with England for the first ever Women’s Rugby World Cup Sevens competition when coach Simon Amor’s side will be among the favourites to lift the silverware.
Her experiences in Dubai have also strengthened the 25-year-old’s desire to see Rugby Sevens become part of the Olympic Games programme, something she admits would be “absolutely amazing”.
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“You know at the moment Rugby isn’t in the Olympics and every athlete I have to admit looks at the Olympics and says ‘I want to be there’,” explained Alphonsi, the IRB International Women’s Personality of the Year in 2006.
“For me to be part of the Olympics, for women’s rugby to be part of the Olympics, would be absolutely amazing for many different reasons.
“We’ve worked hard to get where we are today so to be part of the IRB circuit itself is really good, as it would to be part of the Olympics where every athlete strives to be the best.
“What the Olympics stands for is special and to be part of that, whether it be as a woman or a man, is important and I’m really hoping that this year when the boat comes in, women’s rugby is part of the Sevens programme in the Olympics.
“I’m keeping my fingers crossed and I hope to be involved in that.”
New motivation for Alphonsi
The thrill of playing before a 50,000 crowd at ‘The Sevens’ was also a new experience for Alphonsi, even though she is a seasoned international having made her England debut back in 2003 against the USA.
“I’ve never played in front of such a big crowd – 50,000 people!” she enthused. “I have to admit you get on the pitch and you’re so nervous, but once you start playing and the crowd start calling your name, you lose all those nerves.
“It’s motivated me even more now. The work we went through just to get to the Dubai Sevens was hard, so in regards to going for the World Cup in March I have to admit it’s making me want to go away and work harder.
“I’m buzzing for it, I’m looking forward to it … if I’m involved [in RWC Sevens 2009] it’ll be an honour in itself. To be part of the fifteens is an honour, but to be part of the Sevens is another thing.
“To be playing Sevens is quite overwhelming really. Fifteens I worked really hard to be part of that team, Sevens again is like another step up, you just keep working and working.
“Fifteens and Sevens, it’s the same level of effort, but when you come and play Sevens you’ve got to work hard, every minute counts, every second counts in Sevens and I have to admit it’s definitely pushed me.
Something special awaits Dubai
“It’s challenged me, it’s made me work harder, it’s exposed my weaknesses, it’s exposed my strengths. So for me it’s made me a better rugby player, if not for Sevens but for fifteens as well.”
The chance to showcase all that the Women’s Game has to offer by playing before such a large crowd and alongside the leading men’s players in IRB Sevens World Series is another positive for Alphonsi.
“Every time you play you are showing the standard of the women’s rugby,” admitted Alphonsi, who has 36 caps to her name going into the Women’s Six Nations Championship next month.
“To play in front of such a big crowd and to show the people there that women can play really good rugby is great. I think we definitely showed it with the final going down to the very death.
“The crowd got what they deserved and they got a good game and I think that shows that in the World Cup coming up in march, they’ve definitely got something special to expect.”