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The 42
10-07-2025
- Sport
- The 42
Aoife Wafer in race to be fit for Ireland's Rugby World Cup campaign
IRELAND HAVE BEEN dealt another significant injury blow ahead of the Women's Rugby World Cup, with news that Aoife Wafer has suffered a knee injury. Wafer has undergone a procedure and while it is hoped she will return at some point during the World Cup, she is now in a race to be fit for Ireland's pool fixtures, with the back rower expected to miss the World Cup warm-up games against Scotland (2 August) and Canada (9 August). Ireland open their World Cup campaign against Japan in Northampton on 24 August, before games against Spain (31 August) and New Zealand (7 September). Wafer has been one of Ireland's standout players over the last 12 months and was named Six Nations Player of the Championship earlier this year. The injury is not a recurrence of the knee problem which ruled the Wexford native out of the final round of this year's Six Nations, but will keep the Harlequins player sidelined for a number of weeks. 'She's had a procedure. It won't keep her out of the World Cup,' confirmed Ireland head coach Scott Bemand. Advertisement Wafer was this year's Six Nations Player of the Championship. Ben Brady / INPHO Ben Brady / INPHO / INPHO 'I think the World Cup warm-up games will come a little bit quickly. But there will be all things put in place to get her back into the World Cup, depending on how certain markers are met will define at which point but we're pretty optimistic with how it's gone. 'I believe she'll be fit at some point (at the World Cup). There's a few markers to get through before that but we're very confident we'll see her at the World Cup. 'It wasn't even in live rugby. Just one of those things, got hit on the side of her leg. Relatively minor procedure and hopefully she comes through it really quickly.' While Ireland are not putting a timeframe on Wafer's return to action, Bemand will hope to have the influential back row available for the final pool game against the Black Ferns in Brighton. 'It could be before that,' Bemand said. 'There's a medical piece, she's not long had this done. A few bits to jump through that but we're pretty optimistic about that (New Zealand game).' Bemand is already missing a number of key players for the World Cup, with Dorothy Wall ruled out of the tournament with an Achilles injury and Erin King sidelined with a long-term knee issue. 'She's ahead of schedule,' Bemand said of Wall, 'but what does that look like? It's unlikely to be the World Cup. 'Erin had a piece over time, no real incident or mechanism for the knee. It's a knee that perhaps had stuff going on over the last couple of years and at some point it was going to find her out and none of us knew.' The Ireland squad are now into the fifth week of their pre-World Cup training camp in Abbotstown, with Ireland men's captain Caelan Doris visiting the squad yesterday to work with the back row players. In May, defence coach Hugh Hogan left Bemand's backroom team, a change which reportedly didn't sit well with some members of the playing squad. Former Bath and Exeter Chiefs flanker James Scaysbrook replaced Hogan as defence coach. 'Generally players don't massively enjoy change one way or another, whether people leave or whether as a coaching group we make a decision to do stuff,' Bemand said. 'That's the nature of high performance sport. 'Nothing is as consistent as change in high performance sport. As a coaching group, the synergy and stuff that we were after, we made a decision that we want to add a slightly different layer to what we are. He did a great job in getting it started but the evolving growth in the group, we made a decision to bring in some of the components that James Scaysbrook can bring. Already he's starting to add, he's starting to challenge players to the next level, to the next layer. 'Certainly going into high pressure environments like the World Cup, the synergy bit is really important and we think we're in a good space now.'
The 42
22-05-2025
- Sport
- The 42
Ireland star Aoife Wafer seals Women's Premiership move to Harlequins
IRELAND RUGBY STAR Aoife Wafer is set for a move to England's Premiership after agreeing a deal with Harlequins. Wafer, 22, moves off the back of a stellar international campaign which saw her named Six Nations Player of the Championship. Advertisement The backrow, who is expected to have recovered from her recent knee injury in time for Ireland's pre-World Cup preparations, will link up with Quins after the tournament later this year. 'This league has all the star players in the world in it,' Wafer said. I want to be the best player in the world, and I can't wait to test myself out against those stars every week. Quins head coach Ross Chisholm hailed his new recruit as 'a real world-class operator'. 'We want people here who are going to fit into our environment and also feel like they belong in it and with Aoife, we feel like it's a perfect fit. 'When we are looking at recruitment, we always look at how players will fit into the Harlequins DNA, and with Aoife, it's clear that she really suits our style and the way we want to play. 'I'm delighted that she is going to be with us next season.'
Irish Independent
21-05-2025
- Sport
- Irish Independent
Ireland number eight Aoife Wafer on cusp of move to English Premiership as Harlequins line up move for star player
Ireland No 8 Aoife Wafer is on the verge of a move to the English Premiership. The brilliant Wexford native, who this week won the 2025 Six Nations Player of the Championship, the first Irish player to do so, is set to join Harlequins after the World Cup, leaving the IRFU's professional system but remaining available to the national team.
The Irish Sun
20-05-2025
- Sport
- The Irish Sun
Aoife Wafer dedicates prestigious Six Nations award to teammates & family as Ireland ace says ‘always wanted to be best'
AOIFE WAFER was delighted after being crowned as the best player of the 2025 women's Six Nations. The back row, 22, inspired Advertisement 2 Aoife Wafer was named Six Nations Player of the Championship Credit: Seb Daly/Sportsfile 2 She scored four tries as Ireland finished third Credit: Ramsey Cardy/Sportsfile And the prize is a welcome one for Scott Bemand's side who finished last in the The Wafer — after edging Feleu by 333 votes — said: 'It's huge for me but also for our team. It really shows how much we have done in the last two years and how we are growing. 'This trophy is not just mine. It's for the team and it's for my family . I always wanted to be the best at everything I did. Advertisement Read More on Six Nations 'I wanted to make my family, my friends and my team-mates proud of me. 'Ever since I was six I wanted to play for Ireland, and then, as I started growing up it became possible to become a professional women's rugby player in Ireland. 'It's great to be nominated and win this trophy. 'Hopefully this can inspire the younger generation to pick up a rugby ball or play any sport.' Advertisement Most read in Rugby Union
Irish Independent
19-05-2025
- Sport
- Irish Independent
Ireland's Aoife Wafer wins Women's Six Nations Player of the Championship award
Ireland's Aoife Wafer has been named the 2025 Women's Six Nations Player of the Championship, capping a stellar campaign with the national side that saw her claim 41% of the public vote and beat out strong competition from across the tournament.
