England World Cup winner Maggie Alphonsi talks to BBC Sport about breaking barriers, coming out and 'banging the drum' for women’s sport.
Maggie Alphonsi on her career: "You always felt like you were being treated as a second-class citizen, but you were also really grateful, which is a weird contradiction"That's not to say the former Saracens and England flanker is unappreciative of what she's achieved in rugby union.
There's a nod to it in the title of her new autobiography - Winning The Fight - which opens with a brawl between a young Maggie and a teenage boy who, like Alphonsi, grew up on the estates of north London. "But I absolutely loved it. I had big arms and big legs, and there were times I did get bullied for that at school and for not fitting the stereotype of being petite - but when I went to rugby, I truly fitted in, and it was the best move I ever made.
It was only in 2014, where Alphonsi accomplished her dream of winning the World Cup with a 21-9 victory over Canada in her last England match, that she felt the achievements of women's rugby were finally starting to be recognised."I won it in my final time wearing that white jersey, and I was so emotional the night before, because I just wanted that one gold.
"It was a really hard time, because we were both coming from a place of 'we love each other'. She cares about me more than anything, her love for me has nothing to do with my sexuality - but at the same time, I don't think she could get past what her upbringing had always told her was right or wrong.
She's been vocal about her goal of one day becoming president of the RFU, and is currently part of the ITV Sport team covering the Rugby World Cup in France.
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