'I don't even know what to say': Wafer doubles up on top Six Nations prize

Aoife Wafer was speechless upon learning she had been voted the 2026 Guinness Women’s Six Nations Player of the Championship for a second year in a row.

The 23-year-old received 40 per cent of the vote to beat out Meg Jones [England], Francesca Sgorbini [Italy] and Pauline Bourdon Sansus [France] to the award.

She is the first player to receive the award in consecutive years since its introduction in 2020.

“I don’t even know what to say,” Wafer said upon receiving the award at the Guinness Open Gate Brewery in London. “Last year I was the first ever Irish woman and the youngest to do it, and to back it up is pretty special.

“The girls back home will agree with me that these sort of things don’t happen without them. I’m just grateful that I’m part of an incredible team, and I get to come back to Quins and be a part of an incredible team here too.”

The Harlequins loose forward was in unplayable form at this year’s Women’s Six Nations. Operating in a settled back-row alongside Erin King and Brittany Hogan, the 23-year-old was able to show off the attacking flair she has been nurturing with her club side.

For consecutive years Ireland finished third at the Championship and concluded their campaign against Scotland in front of 31,294 people at the Aviva Stadium.

A record home attendance for Ireland’s women, supporters were treated to a 54-5 win and a brace of Wafer scores. In total the forward crossed the whitewash five times, made 78 carries, won five turnovers and beat 20 defenders.

“I don’t think I’m anywhere near a finished product to be honest with you,” Wafer told RugbyPass shortly after she re-signed with Harlequins. “I’m still only 23 and I think I definitely still have a lot more to learn and I have a lot more to give to whatever team I’m involved with as well.

“I’m excited to kind of see what, what else I can unlock in the next few months or years or weeks. I chase kind of one percenters. I think that kind of showed in the tournament when I got going.

“The Quins style and the Irish style are very different styles, but I try to bring a bit of that Quins flair into the Irish game when I got going. It only benefitted me when I was on the pitch”