Aoife Wafer press conference | Harlequins Women vs Leicester Tigers

Aoife Wafer met with members of the press to look ahead to Saturday's PWR clash with Leicester Tigers.

The number 8 discussed several topics:

• Her form in the 2026 Guinness Women's Six Nations.
• Her decision to re-sign with Harlequins Women.
• The strength of the PWR.
• The connectivity and togetherness within the Women's squad.

Transcript

SPEAKER_01 0:00

Hiya, how you doing? Well, all good. How are you keeping?

SPEAKER_03 0:03

Yeah, good, thanks. Um, how difficult is it to transition back into the PWR so soon after Six Nations?

SPEAKER_01 0:10

Uh it's not too difficult for me to be honest. Like I think I pride myself on being a bit of a ruby nerd. So uh yeah, I know like watching footage and all that crack and yeah, just getting back. I suppose like the biggest challenge as a group is nearly getting back connected and and reconnecting, coming from so many different environments, and I suppose environments that pose very different challenges to each other as well. So like um obviously, like I think we've someone in nearly every Six Nations team, so um, like it's a very wide array of of cultures and setups and gameplays and all that, but I suppose just singing from the same hymn sheet when we when we get going in it.

SPEAKER_03 0:46

Um and do you think this is the strongest PWR season yet and and why?

SPEAKER_01 0:52

Uh well I suppose it's uh it's the strongest one I've ever been in because it's the first one that I've been in. But um uh yeah, like I guess I can't really speak for for previous ones because I've not been involved in them. But um from what I've been involved in, like yeah, it is really competitive. Um like I think you've you have games every week that are they're highly competitive and they're physical, and I think there's very sore bodies the the couple days afterwards, and um like yeah, it's it there's a lot of fixtures where you look at it and you you can't really tell who's gonna win, which I suppose as as fans and spectators is is ideal because you you want competition and you want a game that went a bit of jeopardy. So um yeah, like I've I've really enjoyed it anyway, and yeah, I can't wait to keep going as well next season with Quinn's.

SPEAKER_03 1:35

Fantastic. Thank you very much, and best of luck at the weekend.

SPEAKER_01 1:37

Oh cheers, thank you very much. Hiya, how are you? Well, what's crack? How are you keeping?

SPEAKER_04 1:42

Yeah, all good, thank you. Uh the PWR expansion's been kind of the one of the main kind of storylines for for this league recently, and obviously there's a there's a possibility of an Irish team joining. What are your thoughts on that?

SPEAKER_01 1:54

Uh yeah, like I I don't have many thoughts on it to be honest. I haven't really thought too much about it, but um, yeah, like it's exciting, isn't it? Like um kind of I don't like I've no idea how they'll how they'll manage it or that kind of thing or what teams they'll kind of put into it, but I think like the the Calsky Challenge is growing and it's uh it's showing a lot of promise. So like you have for us anyways, the Wolf fans and the Clover side, which always posts a tasty little game when they play each other. So um yeah, like it'll it'll be exciting, and I guess if if they do come out to the PWR, I guess I guess I I just get to see more Irish people every week. So yeah, no, uh like I think it's exciting, and yeah, like I think it'll be good for the league to kind of get a bit of fresh blood, fresh challenges, and yeah, I don't know. I guess we'll see how it goes.

SPEAKER_04 2:40

And realising your dream of playing at Via Viva a few weeks ago, have you kind of been able to process that a bit more now?

SPEAKER_01 2:46

Uh I probably haven't fully reflected on it. No, um, I think like the the season is still very much in flow with with Quinn's here, so I haven't kind of allowed myself to to take a step back from rugby just yet and sort of realise what the what's what's even happened in the past few weeks. But yeah, like um the the occasion at the Aviva was absolutely incredible. And I think the RFU made it really special as well with the likes of the the first ever women's Irish women's team to to play rugby or to to found a team in 1993 came in and they presented us our jerseys and and we actually got to present them their jerseys as well, kind of with uh the new heritage numbers that we that we got as well, which I know a lot of of work has been gone in to kind of find those numbers and find players and see who slots were. So um yeah, like it was uh just the whole week I think was an incredible, incredible thing, and yeah, it's something something I'm sure I'll look back back on very fondly. And yeah, I think like even during the week posting that photo of me 12 years ago and everyone slagged me that I've not changed a bit. Um but yeah, no, like I think I'm I'm still just as much in love with rugby now as I was then. Thank you so much and good well this weekend.

SPEAKER_00 3:57

Hi Afa. Um I I guess the main question I wanted to ask was as as Harry mentioned at the top there, obviously re-signed with Queens, like how easy a decision was that for you?

SPEAKER_01 4:07

Um there was a lot of thinking I had to go into it to be fair. Um because obviously like what what they're doing back home is is like is a big factor for influencing what I kind of decide here. And um, I suppose at the end of the day, like the dream is to play for Ireland and to to be the best player I can be for for my country. And and yeah, like I think at the minute like Quinns is is the one that's kind of giving me opportunities and and allow me to I suppose play with and against the best in the league. So um yeah, like it it it took a lot of a lot of thinking and um yeah, a lot of back and forth. But uh yeah, like I'm I'm happy with my decision and uh my family are happy with my decision, so yeah, I think like that as long as I'm still studying, they don't really mind. But um, yeah, look at like I I think yeah, there was a lot of thinking and I suppose just a lot of conversations that had to go on in the background to see what was best for me as a person as well as a player.

SPEAKER_00 5:02

Yeah, and obviously you mentioned there like the island performances that that's ultimately what everything leads towards. Like, obviously, at the Six Nations, we could probably fairly say you had quite a good tournament, obviously nominated for Player of the Year again and play the championship again, and all those sorts of things. Like, how where where do you feel like your rugby's at at the minute? Because like it was sort of you you were playing some pretty light out stuff, particularly like at the tail end of that tournament.

SPEAKER_01 5:24

Uh yeah, I don't think I'm anywhere near a finished product, to be honest with you. Sure, I'm I'm still only 23 and um yeah, like I I think I definitely still have a lot more to learn, and I I have a lot more to give to whatever team I'm involved with as well. So uh I'm excited to kind of see what what else I can unlock um in the in the next few months or years or or weeks or that kind of thing. And uh yeah, like I I chased kind of one percenters and yeah, I think that that kind of showed in the tournament when I when I got going. And uh like the the Quinn style and the Irish style are probably very different styles, but um I think like I tried to put it bring a bit of that quince flair into I suppose the Irish Irish game when I got going and um yeah like I I think it only benefited me when I was on the pitch then.

SPEAKER_00 6:08

Yeah, brilliant stuff. Thank you very much.

SPEAKER_02 6:14

Thanks, Harry. Hi, If uh, you're right. Yeah, how good, how are you keeping? Um good, thank you. Huge congrats on such a um amazing Six Nations. Everyone has nicked my questions, so I'm gonna be scratching around the bottom of the barrel. But um just on on your new deal, um obviously really exciting times for you to to resign again at such a great club. Um how how long had you sort of been weighing up the decision? Because I know there's a number of Irish bass players who are who are over here, a lot of the a lot of your pack are over here. Um and and what kind of is the sentiment kind of back home like? Was it were they active what was Irish rugby kind of actively supporting and encouraging you to you know just follow your dreams and and kind of realize that that continued goal of wanting to be the best player you can for your country?

SPEAKER_01 7:08

Uh yeah, look at like Ireland are going to support uh me to be the best player I can be. Um like in camp, I I work very closely with the likes of James uh Scazebrook, Scabebrook, and um like it's just kind of building that relationship to I guess push and challenge each other and uh see where we can kind of like I said chase one percenters and um yeah, see where I can keep getting better. And um I think like ultimately the the place that I think that I can I can get better right now is is in the PWR. Um and like yes, the the Catholic Challenge I think is is building into something that's that's really special. And I think you could see that with even the likes of our our back line, like they've they've played together now basically the whole season, and what they are able to produce in the Six Nations is is we're a class. Um but yeah, like I think for me personally, um I just I just love being here with the girls in in in the quarters. And um, yeah, like I I just see myself kind of growing here a bit more, and I think I I haven't probably learnt as as much as as much as I want to just yet. So I think there's still a few stones to be unturned and all of that kind of crack too. So yeah, like I'm just excited to to keep learning here and yeah, just trying to trying to be the best version of me, I guess.

SPEAKER_02 8:23

Nice. And just one more from me. Has there been anything that surprised you, I for in your first year of playing PWR rugby, like over here, whether it's you know, at club or you know, in the league itself compared to the AIL back home? Like, is it the fans, the sort of uplift and socials and the effort that a club like Quinn's puts into supporting its women's team? Has anything kind of struck you in particular?

SPEAKER_01 8:50

Um, well, internationals don't really play AIL back home, only only sometimes. So, like what I'd be comparing it to is probably like the interprovincial setup or a Kelsey Challenge setup. Um, but yeah, like I think like nothing's really surprised me. Like I like I said, like I watch a lot of rugby. Um, I keep up to date with a lot of lot of things around rugby. Um so I would have watched Quinn's quite closely and watched the PWR quite closely, I suppose, the last couple of years. And um yeah, like I think the biggest thing that's probably surprised me is is the fans, um, because like you take it to stoop, like I'd say the amount of times now we've had well over a thousand people, and you probably don't really get that at home just yet. Um, it is building um because I think the World Cup has done so much for I think like fan engagement and getting people down to games and kind of letting people realise as well that like the women's rugby sphere is very different to the men's sphere, and what we can offer is very different, but it's it's in to some people it's better than what the men can offer. And I know even uh from speaking to a lot of fans that were at that Aviva game, like there was there was 32,000 people there, and a lot of them were like, it's it's well better than any lads' game they've ever been to, with a packed out of Eva Aviva. So look at like I think um yeah, the the fans and the support that they offer. And even last night we we had a quiz and it was to raise money for El Cromax dad, and um the whole kind of Queens fans community sort of came in and they were sat with a with a table with maybe like a player and a staff member each, and they just rode in behind the group, and I think that kind of support really really just demonstrates how much of a family this this club is and how much we all kind of support each other because yeah, like I think that's that's probably the important thing with rugby, isn't it? And especially women's rugby is we just support each other and try try just to get the best out of each other. So yeah, I think that's probably the one massive difference.