Aoife Wafer makes history with back-to-back Women's Six Nations Player of the Championship Awards

The 23-year-old back-row sensation claimed 40 per cent of more than 15,000 fan votes to retain the prestigious accolade, seeing off competition from England captain Meg Jones, France scrum-half Pauline Bourdon Sansus and Italy's Francesca Sgorbini.

Wafer was once again at the heart of Ireland's campaign as they secured a third-place finish, producing a series of dominant displays that reinforced her reputation as one of the most exciting players in the women's game.

Her statistics throughout the Championship underlined her influence. Wafer finished with the second-highest number of carries in the tournament (78), ranked joint-first for dominant tackles (8) and post-contact metres (129), while also crossing for five tries to finish joint-third on the try-scoring charts.

The Leinster and Harlequins forward saved one of her finest performances for Ireland's final fixture, earning Player of the Match honours as Ireland secured a historic victory in front of a record crowd of 31,294 supporters at the Aviva Stadium — the largest attendance ever recorded for a standalone women's rugby match in Ireland.

Reacting to the award, Wafer said: "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."

Guinness Global Sports Marketing Manager Paddy Carberry praised Wafer's impact throughout the Championship.

"Aoife's performances throughout this year's Guinness Women's Six Nations have been nothing short of exceptional," he said.

"To be recognised by fans for a second consecutive year speaks volumes, not only about her consistency at the highest level, but also the connection she has built with supporters of the game."

IRFU CEO Kevin Potts added: "Aoife is a truly world class player and her achievement in being named Guinness Women's Six Nations Player of the Championship for a second consecutive year is truly exceptional and a testament to her consistency, work rate and impact at the highest level."

At just 23 years old, Wafer continues to break new ground for Irish rugby, with her latest award further cementing her status as one of the leading stars in the global game.