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RTÉ News
a day ago
- Sport
- RTÉ News
Denis Fogarty: Ireland are 'quite confident' of Aoife Wafer's return during upcoming Rugby World Cup
Ireland assistant coach Denis Fogarty insists that Ireland are confident talismanic forward Aoife Wafer will be fit to return to action at some stage during the upcoming World Cup. The 2025 Six Nations Player of the Year recently underwent a procedure for a knee injury sustained during the pre-season and is a major doubt for Ireland's pool stage clashes with Japan, Spain and New Zealand. Wafer tore her posterior cruciate ligament against Wales in the Six Nations, and later damaged her medial cruciate ligament upon returning to training, making her a major doubt for the tournament in England, which begins on 22 August. However, speaking to the media ahead of the World Cup warm-up clash with Scotland on Saturday, Fogarty was optimistic about the chances of the Wexford woman's return. "We're quite confident that she will play some part in the World Cup which is really pleasing," said Fogarty. "At the moment she's tracking really well, it's making sure it's right for her, as a player, when she comes back into it. "She's got a procedure done so she's definitely not ruled out of the World Cup yet. We're taking it week by week in terms of when her return to play is, but she's not ruled out of the World Cup anyway." Ireland have already suffered hammer blows in losing fellow marquee forwards Erin King and Dorothy Wall after injuries sustained during the Six Nations, but Fogarty accepts that such losses are part and parcel of the game. "There's no doubt about it, losing key players like that [Aoife Wafer, Dorothy Wall and Erin King] can be difficult but that's the nature of the game and sport. But we've had Sam [Monaghan] come back in which is a big addition for us," he added. "There's been other girls coming through who have really impressed us throughout the camp as well but with injuries like that they're always going to come. "They're not ideal, going into a World Cup, but it's something we have to deal and adapt with as well and that is something we have done over the last couple of weeks." Ireland's recent evolution under Scott Bemand has been off the back of bolting young talents rising to the challenge of international rugby with ease. Having coached the Clovers in the recent Celtic Challenge competitions, Fogarty has watched some of the prodigious talent coming through the ranks. "These young players have come in and have built throughout the number of weeks they've been around. I would have had a lot of them with Celtic Challenge and known a lot about them," he noted. "It's an exciting time. The players that are in are well able for this, that's one side of it. But they're physically able for it and if they can do it here, they can do it against the teams we are facing." Hooker Cliodhna Moloney says Ireland are hoping to get the fans on board during their upcoming warm-up games for the World Cup - a tournament Aoife Wafer is now expected to play some part in, despite undergoing knee surgery #RWC2025 — RTÉ Sport (@RTEsport) July 30, 2025 Ireland now face into a two-week run of warm-up fixtures ahead of the World Cup. First, they take on Scotland in Virgin Media Park in Cork this coming Saturday, before a difficult assignment against Canada in the Affidea Stadium in Belfast on 9 August. Scotland defeated Ireland in the final round of the Six Nations back in April, which Fogarty acknowledges will have focused the minds ahead of their next fixture. "Scotland got one over on us in the last game of the Six Nations, so it's definitely been a focus in making sure we get our performance right," said the former Munster hooker. "Working on things that we probably didn't get right over the Six Nations, or want to get better at. That's been the focus of this week." "Then with Canada being an incredibly physical team with incredible athletes, it will be a really, really big test for us going into the World Cup which is really important for us."
RTÉ News
21-05-2025
- Sport
- RTÉ News
Aoife Wafer revels in 'crazy' Six Nations Player of the Tournament gong as Ireland's World Cup adventure looms large
In a sign that being named Women's Six Nations Player of the Year is still sinking in, Aoife Wafer reached for the adjective "crazy" more than once as she reflected on the honour on Wednesday evening. The Ireland flanker was announced as the winner on Monday, earning 41% of the fan poll, and ultimately seeing off competition from the other nominees, England winger Abby Dow, France second row Manaé Feleu and Scotland back row Evie Gallagher. Coming out on top in a shortlist alongside that trio was something the 22-year-old was not expecting. "It's a bit crazy to be honest. They're all phenomenal athletes and there's so many people that could have and should have been nominated as well," she told RTÉ 2fm's Game On. "We've so many superstars on our team as well, so to be nominated is class and then to get the fan support and to be voted as the best player in Six Nations is pretty undescribable to be honest." The Wexford native topped a host of statistical tables during the 2025 tournament, making 70 carries - the most of any player - for a staggering 424.7 metres, beating 17 defenders in the process, the second highest of any forward in the championship. And that's not mentioning her four-try haul. "Thankfully I've been able to put out a couple of good performances but I still have so much to learn," she said. "At the end of the day I'm only 22 and I'm really excited for even what's to come at the end of the year in the World Cup, so it's a bit crazy to be honest." Ireland finished third in the tournament and while Wafer sees areas for improvement, she felt that Scott Bemand's team have made clear strides with the World Cup looming in August when they will share a pool with New Zealand, Spain and Japan. "Personally, I'd look at it as probably some of those games got away from us and it could have potentially been a tournament that we finished second instead of third in the likes of if we'd beat France and if we'd beat Scotland and then put a bit more competition in England," she said. "But there are so many positives to take from it as well. We've come such a long way in the two years that Scott's been over us and it's a completely changed side to what was pre Scott's era. "The end of this year is going to be incredibly exciting but we'll definitely have to take some learnings from this year's Six Nations and kind of be a bit more... like taking chances in those scoring zones because we want to beat Tier One nations and it's not every often that you get those chances when you're in their '22 so you have to take every one of them." And amid reports in the Irish Indepedent about a potential move to English club Harlequins after the World Cup being on the verge of fruition, Wafer was coy about the prospect and switched the spotlight onto her recovery from injury. "I'm just trying to get back from my knee (injury). I haven't seen anything yet," she said. "I picked up an injury there against Wales so I'm just doing everything I can to get back from it and try to put my hand up for selection again for the World Cup."
Irish Independent
29-04-2025
- Sport
- Irish Independent
Ireland star Aoife Wafer nominated for Six Nations Player of the Year award
Ireland back row Aoife Wafer leads a foursome in line for the Guinness-sponsored Six Nations Player of the Year. The Wexford native had a storming campaign for the third-placed side and is being widely touted for a summer move to the English Premiership.
