IMPOSSIBLE TO IGNORE

2024 was not a dream for ERIN KING, the World Rugby Women's Breakthrough Player of the Year. It was a reality

- PAT MCCARRY

BACK IN September, Ireland stunned world champions New Zealand in their first-ever WXV1 match. Two 21-year-olds and a 20-year-old were vital in securing that victory. Aoife Wafer pilfered two tries and was named Player of the Match, while Dannah O’Brien slotted the last-minute conversion to make it 29-27. Erin King, the youngest of the trio, crashed over for two tries in 13 minutes after being sprung from the bench for the closing half-hour.

Two years ago, former Ireland captain Ciara Griffin stated that the women’s senior side had hit “rock-bottom”. Having failed to qualify for the previous Rugby World Cup, they sank lower when they finished the 2023 Six Nations without a single point. Few would have argued with Griffin, who was not alone in making the point. Ireland felt a long way from relevance.

Eighteen months later, Ireland had secured a spot at the 2025 World Cup and finished second, behind winners England, in a highly competitive WXV1.

A lot went into Ireland’s resurgence in world rugby, but King, Wafer and O’Brien are representative of the huge investment, and faith shown, in bringing through a new generation of talented, fearless players.

King had made her Test debut a fortnight before that thrilling win over the Black Ferns in a 36-10 victory against Australia, the country of her birth. Ten weeks later, she was in Monaco accepting the World Rugby.

Breakthrough Player of the Year award for the women’s game. Since then, the trophy she was awarded that night has had an interesting journey.

“When I first came home from France,” says King, “the trophy lived in my car because everywhere I went people wanted to see it. I just left it in the boot of the car. It definitely did the rounds of Blessington, and over to all my family, since I’ve been back.”