Aoife Wafer is back and ready for Big Game 17

Aoife Wafer is a 22-year-old flanker, who plays for both Harlequins and Ireland. Most recently, she was named the 2025 Guiness Women’s Six Nations Player of the Championship after a successful national campaign.

Wafer joined Harlequins at the start of the 2025/26 PWR season, transferring from Irish side, Leinster. After a tricky couple of months recovering from injury, she made her debut for Quins in their win against Sale Sharks last weekend.

“Making my Harlequins debut in front of a brilliant home crowd was brilliant, the roar when I came on gave me goosebumps! I was also fortunate enough to have my parents and plenty of Irish faces there to cheer me on.”

And if her debut wasn’t exciting enough, Aoife Wafer has just been named in the starting lineup for Big Game 17! Harlequins will face Bristol Bears in a double header at Allianz Stadium, which is set to be a record attendance for women’s club rugby.

“This is the game that everybody wants to play. I’ve only played at the Allianz Stadium once before, which wasn’t the best game for an Irish person,” she jokes. “But I’m really looking forward to the game and the opportunity to play in front of such a great crowd.”

Her debut has come following months of rehab for the Irish International, after sustaining a collarbone and medical collateral (MCL) injury during the Rugby World Cup this summer.

“My rehab journey was tough; leaving home, moving university, and losing my Irish contract made it more challenging,” she says, openly. “But the girls at Quins really looked after me and made sure that I felt like part of the team. That’s something that is so special here.

“The medical team and I put in a lot of work to get me back to fitness. It was incredible when I got the message to say I’d made team selection, and everyone was so supportive of me.”

Ireland made it through to the quarterfinals of the Rugby World Cup, where they fell just short to France in a 18-13 defeat. Wafer was featured in the squad, after missing the pool games due to injury.

“It was incredibly special to be back out with the girls and have the whole of Ireland watching and cheering us on. Running out in that green jersey in a World Cup is something I would have dreamed of as a kid.”

Attendances soared and further dreams were made for both fans and players during the World Cup. The final between England and Canada broke attendance and viewership records for women’s rugby, as a crowd of 81,885 watched from the stadium, and a further 5.8 million across TV and streaming platforms.

“People are finally realising how special women’s rugby is. The games are brilliant and entertaining to watch, and it’s just such a special occasion to be at.

“Harlequins is a testament to that; every game at The Stoop is filled with entertainment in the form of light shows and pyrotechnics, and on the pitch too!”

The Stoop will host the PWR Final on Saturday 28th June 2026, and Harlequins have their sights set on being there. Wafer is excited about the chance to be part of that campaign and challenge herself against some of the top teams in the rugby world.

“The brilliant thing about the PWR is that every game is so competitive. You learn a lot in every game, getting to play alongside the best players in the world, which is such an honour.”

On what’s next for her career, Wafer speaks candidly about her goals.

“I do forget that I’m only 22 sometimes, because I’ve been around for so long. But I know I’m nowhere near the finished product.

“I still have a lot of space to grow, which is really exciting. I’m constantly learning from the people around me and that exposure will only benefit the player I’m becoming.”