Lions, Beirne and Wafer among those honoured by Rugby Writers of Ireland

Ireland and Munster backrow Tadhg Beirne, who today has been named the Guinness Rugby Writers of Ireland Men’s Player of the Year acknowledging an outstanding 2024/2025 season for both club and country. The recipients were celebrated this evening at the home of Guinness, the Guinness Storehouse. Pic: Ben Brady/Inpho

Andy Farrell’s British and Irish Lions’ Test series win in Australia during the summer has seen them crowned the Rugby Writers of Ireland’s Dave Guiney Team of the Year at the body’s annual awards night in the Guinness Storehouse.

A total of 18 Irish players featured in the famous touring party Down Under and that influence – the largest ever from these shores – was buttressed by a huge Ireland contingent on the coaching staff and in the wider backroom and operations.

The award had previously been won seven times by the Ireland’s men’s senior team, including the last three, all of them under Farrell’s watch, with Leinster claiming the honour five times, Munster and the Ireland U20s three and Connacht once.

Tadhg Beirne was a predictable winner in the Men’s player category. The Munster skipper was superb for club and country across the period in question – October 2024 to October 2025 – and was also voted player of the series after the Lions’ 2-1 success in Australia.

Aoife Wafer got the nod in the Women’s player category for the second time despite missing most of the World Cup in England in the late summer. The back row was voted player of the tournament for her efforts in the Six Nations having also shone in the WXV1 in Canada.

“I am truly honoured to have been recognised once again this year by the Guinness Rugby Writers of Ireland,” said Wafer.

“While we have achieved some big goals this year, we were disappointed with our finish at the World Cup, but the experience has only strengthened our determination to improve and come back stronger.” Hannah Clarke was top of the list in Women’s 7s. Ireland’s top try-scorer in her first season, the 20-year-old is part of the IRFU’s centrally contracted squad and scored the match-winner for Connacht as the province claimed third place over Ulster in this year’s interpros.

Dylan O’Grady was awarded the Men’s 7s trophy for being a consistent source of tries for the side, most notably in a standout performance against New Zealand in Singapore. O’Grady will be the last inductee given the IRFU has discontinued the men’s programme.

Former IRFU National Talent Development Manager, Hendrik Kruger, earned the Tom Rooney Award, which recognises outstanding contributions to the Irish game. Alex Soroka, Garrett Fitzgerald and Billy Holland have been recent recipients.

Originally from South Africa, Kruger has played major roles in the building development structures that have aided the professional men’s and women’s games at the national level, and at provincial level in Leinster and at grassroots with Dundalk RFC.

Nenagh Ormond RFC are the Club of the Year on the back of a meteoric rise to AIL Division 1A this term. Back-to-back promotions for the Tipperary club, including their last-minute heroics in last season’s promotion playoffs, now see them in Ireland’s top division.

Last season also saw Nenagh get their hands on the Munster Senior Challenge Cup, the first team from the Premier County to lift the trophy in its 139-year history. Other recent winners have been Enniscorthy, Clogher Valley and Ballyclare.

The illustrious Hall of Fame has been joined by Nora Stapleton and Nigel Carr.

Stapleton was capped 50 times for Ireland at out-half and was a pivotal player in the 2013 Grand Slam and the 2014 World Cup win over New Zealand. She now leads Women in Sport for Sport Ireland.

Carr, an MBE, played eleven times for Ireland at openside flanker. The Ulsterman was a key player in the 1985 Triple Crown-winning Ireland side and remains a significant contributor to the sport and community.

Last but by no means least were the winners of the Fred Cogley award which goes to RWI members who have made lasting contributions to the Irish rugby media. Frank Quinn and John D O’Brien join Len Dineen and Edmund van Esbeck in this nascent category.

Guinness Rugby Writers of Ireland Awards 2025 winners:

Women’s XV Player of the Year: Aoife Wafer; Men’s XV Player of the Year: Tadgh Beirne; Men’s 7s Player of the Year: Dylan O’Grady; Women’s 7s Player of the Year: Hannah Clarke; Dave Guiney Team of the Year: British and Irish Lions; Club of the Year: Nenagh Ormond; Tom Rooney Award: Hendrik Kruger; Hall of Fame Inductees: Nora Stapleton and Nigel Carr; Fred Cogley Award: Frank Quinn and John D O'Brien.