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England’s Maggie Alphonsi is getting excited by the future challenges facing her and colleagues. Alphonsi has got the Sevens bug since making her debut in a victorious campaign 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, according to the IRB.

The thrill of playing before a 50,000 crowd at ‘The Sevens’ was also a new experience for Alphonsi.

“I’ve never played in front of such a big crowd – 50,000 people! 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.”

“Every time you play you are showing the standard of the women’s rugby,” admitted Alphonsi, who is an experienced campaigner in the 15-a-side game with 36 caps to her name.

“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.”

Her experiences in Dubai have also strengthened the 25-year-old’s aspirations to see Rugby Sevens become part of the Olympic Games programme, something she admits would be “absolutely amazing”.

“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.

“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.”