Ireland forward Aoife Wafer has been named the Women's Six Nations Player of the Championship for 2026, making history as the first player to win the award in consecutive years. Wafer secured 40% of the fans' vote, triumphing over notable competitors including England's Grand Slam-winning captain Meg Jones, Italy back row Francesca Sgorbini, and France scrum-half Pauline Bourdon Sansus.

In the previous year, 2025, Wafer also led the voting, surpassing France second row Manae Feleu, England wing Abby Dow, and Scotland back row Evie Gallagher. At just 23 years old, she played a pivotal role in all five matches for Ireland, who finished third behind England and France for the third consecutive year.

Her performance this year included:

• Five tries, exceeding her total of four from 2025
• 78 carries, the highest among forwards in the tournament

Wafer expressed her gratitude, stating, "I don't even know what to say. 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."