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Maggie Alphonsi MBE is a former England international rugby player, respected broadcaster and influential leader within the sport.
During an outstanding playing career, she earned 74 caps for England, scoring 28 tries and playing a pivotal role in a record seven consecutive Six Nations titles. Maggie was a key member of the England squad that won the 2014 Rugby World Cup, their first in 20 years, and the team went on to be named BBC Sports Personality Team of the Year.
Since retiring from international rugby, Maggie has built a successful media career, working as a rugby commentator and pundit for Sky Sports, BT Sport, the BBC and ITV. In 2015, she made history as the first former female player to commentate on men’s international rugby during the Rugby World Cup, and she continues to play a prominent role in ITV Sport’s rugby coverage. She is also a trailblazer in sports journalism, becoming the first former female player to write a regular column for a national newspaper, with her commentary and analysis featured in The Telegraph.
Away from broadcasting, Maggie is a respected voice in leadership and governance. In 2016, she became the first England Women’s player elected as a National Member of the Rugby Football Union Council and remains one of just six women on the 56 member council. She plays a leading role in shaping the future of the game, including chairing work around diversity and inclusion. With a strong academic background in sports and exercise science, Maggie brings insight, credibility and warmth to her speaking. Her experiences of performing under pressure, leading in male dominated environments and challenging perceptions resonate across corporate, education and sporting audiences, inspiring others to build confidence, resilience and belief in their own potential.
Drawing on her experience as an elite athlete, broadcaster and RFU Council Member, Maggie Alphonsi explores what effective leadership really looks like in high performing environments. She shares lessons from captaining on the pitch and influencing change off it, focusing on accountability, confidence and leading with authenticity. This keynote highlights how strong leaders build trust, set standards and empower others to succeed.
Winning is not just about talent, it is about mindset. In this keynote, Maggie takes audiences inside the mental approach required to succeed at the highest level of sport. She explores focus, belief and preparation, and how small psychological shifts can have a major impact on performance. These insights translate powerfully into business, education and everyday life.
Having performed on the world stage in front of millions, Maggie understands pressure better than most. This session looks at how pressure affects decision making and performance, and how to manage it positively. Maggie shares practical tools for staying calm, focused and resilient when the stakes are high.
As a successful woman in a traditionally male dominated sport and media industry, Maggie offers an honest and empowering perspective on navigating challenging environments. She discusses confidence, credibility and self belief, alongside the realities of being the minority voice in the room. This keynote encourages inclusive thinking while providing practical strategies for thriving without compromising identity.
Maggie’s journey to the top of international rugby was not without setbacks. From injuries to battling perceptions and barriers, she shares how resilience, determination and support networks helped her push through difficult moments. This inspiring keynote shows how adversity can become a powerful driver for growth and success.
Throughout her career, Maggie has challenged expectations of what women can achieve in elite sport, broadcasting and leadership. In this keynote, she explores how unconscious bias, stereotypes and assumptions limit potential, and how individuals and organisations can break them down. Thought provoking and inspiring, this session encourages audiences to rethink what is possible and create space for talent to thrive.
Maggie Alphonsi was incredibly inspirational. Her presentation was current and acknowledged the important role that teachers, PE and sport plays in lives. She talked about her experiences and successful journeys. She presented with high energy, emotion, empathy and humour and ignited the audience to close the day on a high!
Maggie spoke at our staff engagement day; to hear her talk about overcoming adversity and aiming for the best in life was incredibly motivational. It was just what we needed to energise us before we embarked on an afternoon of delivering community projects – she is truly inspirational.
