Ireland backrower Aoife Wafer is in a race to be fit for the start of the Women's Rugby World Cup next month.
Head coach Scott Bemand is sweating on the fitness of the 2025 Six Nations Player of the Championship after she sustained another knee injury.
She looks set to miss both warm-up games, against Scotland (2 August) and a week later (9 August) where Belfast will host the visit of Canada, and is now a genuine concern for the opening World Cup pool game against Japan in Northampton on Sunday, 24 August.
Ireland take on Spain a week later (31 August) at Franklin’s Gardens before concluding the pool stages against New Zealand in Brighton (7 September).
Wafer, who scored four tries in this year’s Six Nations, missed the final game against Scotland after damaging knee ligaments. The extent of the latest setback remains unknown, but Bemand indicated the Harlequins player would feature at some stage in the tournament.
It is the latest injury concern for Bemand, who already must plan without key forwards Erin King and Dorothy Wall for the tournament.
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