Ireland's scrum coach Denis Fogarty has expressed confidence that back row Aoife Wafer will play a part in the upcoming Women's Rugby World Cup, despite her recent knee surgery. Wafer, who was named the 2025 Women's Six Nations Player of the Championship, underwent the procedure earlier this month, casting some doubt over her availability for the tournament.

Wafer's Recovery Progress

Fogarty emphasized that Wafer is 'definitely not ruled out' of the World Cup and is currently 'tracking really well' in her recovery. The 22-year-old flanker is expected to miss Ireland's warm-up matches against Scotland and Canada, but the team remains hopeful she will regain fitness in time for the Pool C opener against Japan on 24 August.

Ireland's World Cup Campaign

Ireland's World Cup campaign will also see them face Spain on 31 August and defending champions New Zealand on 7 September. The team has faced several injury setbacks in the build-up to the tournament, with forwards Erin King and Dorothy Wall already ruled out.

Team Adaptability

Despite these challenges, Fogarty highlighted the team's resilience and adaptability. 'Losing three key players like that has been difficult,' he said, 'but that's the nature of the game. We've had Sam Monaghan coming back in, which is a big addition for us, and there's been other girls coming through who have impressed us throughout the camp.'

Looking Ahead

Ireland's focus remains on ensuring Wafer's recovery is managed carefully. 'We're taking it week by week in terms of when her return to play is,' Fogarty added. 'But we're quite confident that she will play some part in the World Cup, which is really, really pleasing.'