'I was a bit broken after the World Cup': Wafer to repay faith after captaincy nod

Aoife Wafer says she will lead with her actions after being named as the new Harlequins captain. It is the first time the 23-year-old Ireland international has captained a senior team and takes over from Jade Konkel, who retired at the end of last season.

Wafer has captaincy experience, having been a skipper for the youth teams of Leinster and Ireland. Despite her star power making it feel as though the back-row has been on the scene forever, her days in those youth teams ended just five years ago. Taking her first steps as a senior captain for Quins is a “huge honour” for Wafer.

“Being named captain, the squad were told Monday and it has probably settled in a bit and feels a bit more real,” she said. “This group, I don’t honestly have enough words to describe them. They took me in last year, I was a bit broken after the World Cup. They welcomed me in and it was literally like family as soon as I got here. It is an incredible honour and hopefully I will be able to do them right on the pitch.

“I’d say I am definitely more of a leader by action. I speak a bit but I would rather lead by my actions because they are more valued than words. There are people in the group that are probably better at putting words together than what I would be. I think I am going to lead by how I conduct myself on a pitch and what I do off the pitch as well to put myself in the right spot because that is just as important.”

Shortly after accepting the captaincy, Wafer spoke to two former Quins captains in Konkel and Rachael Burford who both advised her to just “be herself”.

Wafer said: “I have played with Jade [last season] and known her for a little while, whether that was on the international scene or when she was trying to get me across to Quins. She said ‘be yourself, you have been obviously put in that role for a reason so just back yourself’.

“They both said lean on people around you and we obviously have so many leaders in this group whether that is Lucy Packer, Marlie Packer, Sarah Bonar, we have all of these really big leaders now. It isn’t just me, they will have my back as well just as I have theirs. Burf said as well you must’ve done something last season to earn this opportunity and just be myself.”

Last season was Wafer’s first at Harlequins and in JAECOO Premiership Women’s Rugby. She did not play the entire campaign because of injury but added she has “loved” her time in the English top-flight so far because of her teammates and being able to test herself against the best in the world “week-in, week-out”.

Next season will bring an added layer of international to the Harlequins squad with Red Roses duo Rosie Galligan and Marlie Packer joining the team. Fans are particularly looking forward to Packer lining up in the back-row alongside Wafer and the Irish star added she cannot wait to play alongside the former England captain.

“Obviously growing up in rugby I have watched her play for a long time with England,” she said. “It’s going to be exciting. Whether it is Marlie or Al Cal [Alex Callender] or whoever it might be, it is going to be an exciting line-up. When it comes to Lions fixtures [it could] an all Quins back-row and that is the ultimate goal. To try and get as many Quins players on the plane.

“I think she [Marlie] is playing some of her best rugby at the minute and she is going to be a real asset to this group in terms of her leadership and experience. We are a relatively young squad and Marlie brings so much experience so hopefully I can learn a few things from her game and fingers crossed I can teach her a few things as well.”

The captaincy comes following Wafer’s stellar season after coming back from injury, including winning back-to-back Player of the Guinness Women’s Six Nations awards. Despite being in top form, towards the end of the last campaign Wafer said she was “far from a finished product”. So what does she think she can improve?

“There are so many different things,” she said. “Even if it is my carrying game, which is seen as my super strength, there are so many percentages I need to chase on that. To be honest, it is all facets of the game. Whether that is defence, tackling, how many more times can I get a ball back for a team? How many more dominant shots can I put in defence? How many more metres can I get in carrying?

“I don’t want to just be a dominant person, I want to be one of the most dominant people in world rugby. To do that you are chasing small percentages, especially in the international game. You might only be chasing a few percent but that adds up over time so I think to be honest everything. That might sound like a bit of a cop out but if I can get a little better in everything then I will only benefit from that.”