Wafer becomes first back-to-back Women's Six Nations Player of the Championship

Aoife Wafer has become the first player to win the Guinness Women’s Six Nations Player of the Championship in consecutive years, claiming the 2026 award at the Guinness Open Gate Brewery in London after a tournament in which she was virtually unstoppable.

The 23-year-old Ireland and Harlequins loose forward received 40 per cent of the public vote, comfortably ahead of England’s Meg Jones, Italy’s Francesca Sgorbini and France’s Pauline Bourdon Sansus. No player had won the prize in back-to-back seasons since its introduction in 2020.

“I don’t even know what to say,” Wafer said upon receiving the award. “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.”

Operating in a settled back-row alongside Erin King and Brittany Hogan, Wafer was able to showcase the attacking instincts she has developed at club level. Across the tournament she crossed the whitewash five times, made 78 carries, won five turnovers and beat 20 defenders — numbers that underlined her status as the standout player in the competition.

Ireland finished third in the Championship for a second successive year, but they signed off in front of a record home attendance. A crowd of 31,294 packed the Aviva Stadium to watch Ireland dismantle Scotland 54-5, with Wafer contributing a brace of tries on the day.

Despite the individual recognition, Wafer is characteristically measured about where her game stands. “I don’t think I’m anywhere near a finished product to be honest with you,” she said. “I’m still only 23 and I think I definitely still have a lot more to learn and a lot more to give to whatever team I’m involved with.

“I’m excited to see what else I can unlock in the next few months or years or weeks. I chase 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 — and it only benefitted me when I was on the pitch.”

Wafer recently re-signed with Harlequins, ensuring the club will continue to benefit from a player who is rapidly establishing herself as one of the most dynamic forwards in the women’s game.