From: Co. Wexford

Plays For: Leinster and Ireland

About:

From: Co. Wexford

Plays For: Leinster and Ireland

About: Aoife Wafer is a prominent Irish rugby player who has quickly made significant strides in her career. She began her journey playing for Gorey RFC and Leinster Rugby, rising to become Ireland’s Under-18 captain. Aoife was Invited to join the Ireland Sevens program immediately after her Leaving Certificate. In April 2022 she earned her first XV’s senior cap in a 29-8 win against Italy during the 2022 Women’s Six Nations Championship at Musgrave Park. At the annual Rugby Players Ireland Awards, Aoife was recognized by her peers when winning both the Women’s XVs Young Player of the Year and Women’s XVs Player’ Player of the Year for 2024. Off the field, Aoife is a physiotherapy student at University College Dublin.

From: Dublin

Plays for: Leinster & Ireland

Qualifications: Economics, currently studying Property

Ambassador for: Irish Cancer Society, Tackle Your Feelings, Grenade, C11 Recovery, Little Dragon Supplements and Toyota Longmile Road

Interests: Andrew loves the gym, spending time with his dog Pablo, is fond of tattoos and heavy metal music

Andrew Brace is a highly respected rugby referee, officiating top-tier competitions like the Six Nations, Rugby Championship, and two Rugby World Cups (Japan & France) since 2017. His deep understanding of the game stems from his playing days with Belgium and coaching roles with Cardiff Blues and Munster Rugby. Having recently reached 100 United Rugby Championship (URC) matches and 35 international Tests, Brace has cemented his place among the world’s top officials. Off the pitch, he’s a talented Grade 8 violinist. His journey exemplifies perseverance, adaptability, and a true passion for rugby. The constant evolution of the game and pressures of officiating at the highest level pose many challenges and his journey is a great example of how perseverance, resilience, adaptability, and a passion for the game can lead to remarkable success. Andy is a much sought after keynote speaker and panelist

Barry is a musician and songwriter from Limerick who plays in the band Hermitage Green. Barry joined the Munster Rugby academy after school and went on to have a 10 year career in professional Rugby playing 84 times for Munster and was capped 4 times by Ireland. Before retiring from Rugby due to a foot injury at 28, Barry started the band Hermitage Green with some friends. When his career was cut short in 2011 he became a full time musician. Since then, the band have toured the world extensively and played thousands of shows releasing 3 studio albums. Barry has always kept close ties to his rugby roots whether coaching his home club UL bohs, commentating on URC or EPCR games and is a co-host of a very popular Rugby podcast “Potholes and Penguins” with his former team mate Andrew Trimble. Barry is an accomplished MC and rugby paneliist and is much sought after on the rugby speaking circuit. Both Barryand Andrew Trimble are often booked together to host awards ceremonies and to moderate or sit on rugby panels where they bring their wealth of rugby knowledge and a decent amount of fun to the proceedings.

From: Co.Dublin

Plays for: Leinster Rugby

Position: Centre

From: Co.Tipperary

Plays for: Edinburgh Rugby & Scotland

Ambassador for: Clare’s Wish Foundation

Interests: Ben comes from a farming background and is very interested in agriculture. Away from rugby, Ben loves trying new coffee places.

From: Ballina, Co. Mayo

Plays for: Leinster & Ireland

Ambassador for: Tommy Hilfiger, Lucozade, Aer Lingus, JFW Renewables, ISPCC, Paddy Connolly Motors

Interests: Caelan loves the outdoors and enjoys surfing and sea swimming when home in Mayo.

From: Limerick

Plays for: Munster & Ireland

Position: Winger

From: Dublin

Plays for: Connacht

Position: Back Row

From: Dublin

Plays for: Leinster Rugby

Position: Lock

From: Dublin

Plays for: Leinster & Ireland

Qualifications: Social Policy

Ambassador for: Toyota Sandyford

From: Co.Carlow

Plays for: Leinster & Ireland

Position: Out Half

Studying: Accounting & Finance

From: Co. Cork

Plays for: Munster & Ireland

Position: Hooker

Studying: Currently studying at University College Cork

RTÉ Sport anchor and commentator, Darragh is very well accustomed to MCing conferences and awards ceremonies having been a regular host for premium events such as the annual Leinster Rugby Awards and the RTÉ Sports Person of the Year Awards. In late 2018, Darragh MC’d the Isa Nacewa Testimonial Dinner where he hosted the event, spoke to the much loved Leinster player himself as well as moderating and presenting a brilliant Q & A session with a panel of Ireland rugby greats Brian O’Driscoll, Leo Cullen and Johnny Sexton. Darragh has hosted several Q&A’s at various Navy Blue Sports events across rugby, soccer and Gaelic events. As RTÉ Sport’s No.1 sports presenter, his knowledge of sport is unparalleled and his ability to keep panel discussions on-topic and entertaining is second to none.

From: Cork

Plays for: Oyonnax

Position: Winger, Full Back

Ambassador for: Macroom Motors

From: Tipperary

Coaching: Ealing Trailfinders

An accomplished Olympian, author, and wellness and mental health speaker, David concluded his successful athletics career in 2013. Career highlights include winning Ireland’s first Sprint Gold Medal in 76 years at the 2005 European Indoor 400m Championships and winning this title again in 2009 in Turin. David was also a World 400m finalist where he came 6th in Berlin 2009, competed in the 2008 Beijing Olympics, and is the Irish Outdoor and Indoor 400m record holder. David is very involved in corporate wellness, performance, and media, regularly serving as a sports correspondent for RTÉ and covering major events including the Olympic Games. David has authored two bestselling books, “David Gillick’s Kitchen” and “Back On Track,” where he candidly discusses his mental health struggles after his sports career and the strategies he used for recovery. David also hosts a podcast called Medals & Mics alongside his fellow Olympians Derval O’Rourke and Rob Heffernan. A regular contributor to the Irish speaking circuit, David is booked to speak at as well as present panel discussions, and gives key note talks at a multitude of private and public events throughout the country. His fascinating sports career, his insights into good nutrition to power both the body and mind, as well as his experiences dealing with his own mental health struggles make David’s talks engaging, thought provoking and always uplifting.

From: Belfast

Plays for: Ulster Rugby

Position: Back Row

From: Tipperary

Plays for: Munster

Position: Hooker

Ambassador for: RPM Power, John Kennedy Motors, Irish Heart Foundation

From: Kildare

Plays for: Munster Rugby

Position: Winger, Full Back

Emma Byrne is one the most decorated Irish footballer in the history of the game with 134 caps for her country, twice voted Players Player of the Year by her peers in the English club game, an eleven time League title winner and with a EUFA Women’s Champions’ League Medal to add to the collection.

From: Co. Meath

Plays for: Meath LGFA

Studying: Accounting & Finance

Ambassador for: Whoop, Optimum Nutrition, Hanley’s Clean Meals

Interests: Emma is fascinated by sports psychology and believes she would be a psychologist if she wasn’t an athlete.

From: Dublin

Plays for: Ulster & Ireland

Position: Prop

From: Wicklow (Born in Sydney, Australia)

Plays for: Ireland Sevens

Interests: Erin enjoys going out for food with her friends, going to concerts and loves traveling. When home in Wicklow she regularly goes on hikes.

From: Cork

Plays for: Munster & Ireland

Studying: Economics and Sociology

Ambassador for: Enable Ireland

Interests: Fineen is a keen golfer and regularly enjoys playing a few holes after training

From: Dublin

Plays for: Leinster & Ireland U20s

Position: Scrum Half

Former Captain of the Irish Women’s Rugby Team (Grand Slam winning captain in 2013) and current rugby pundit with RTÉ Sport, Fiona was the first female rugby pundit and co-commentator for RTÉ Sport and is also working with BT Sport across their rugby coverage. As well as being a secondary school PE and Maths teacher by day, along with her busy sports punditry work, Fiona regularly delivers talks that delve into the areas of teamwork, resilience, motivation and leadership, as well as being a trailblazer for women in sport and garnering share of voice and success in a predominantly male-centric environment.

Ambassador for: Dacia Ireland, LauraLynn Children’s Hospice

From: Dublin
Plays for: Leinster & Ireland
Qualifications: Business & Law
Ambassador for: adidas, Audi Ireland, LauraLynn Children’s Hospice
Interests: Garry likes listening to podcasts, helping his Dad beekeeping and spending time with his family and dogs

From: Kerry

Represents: Ireland

Qualifications: Sport and Exercise Science

Ambassador for: Maurten

Interests: Grace loves coaching and has a wealth of experience in coaching athletes across a range of sports and disciplines. She has also done commentary work for radio stations such as Q102 and Radio Kerry.

From: Dublin

Plays for: Leinster & Ireland

Ambassador for: Perform Nutrition, Toyota Sandyford, Dublin Simon Community

Interests: Harry is a fan of all sports and has a huge interest in gaming and the Irish music scene.

From: Down

Plays for: Ulster

Position: Second Row, Back Row

From: Cork

Plays for: Munster & Ireland

Position: Out Half

Ambassador for: Kearys Hyundai, Irish Guide Dogs

From: Dublin

Plays for: Exeter Chiefs

Position: Second Row

Ambassador for: Shoutout

Interests: Jack loves gaming and one of his favourite things to do away from the pitch is play Mario Kart. He is also a big music fan.

From: Cork

Coaching: Biarritz Olympique

From: Cork

Plays for: Leicester & Ireland

Position: Prop

From: Wicklow

Plays for: Leinster

Position: Back row

Jamie Heaslip is one of the most decorated players in the history of Irish Rugby. Over the course of a 13 year career he amassed 229 appearances for Leinster and 100 international caps, 95 for Ireland and 5 for the British and Irish Lions. He played a key part in the crafting of both Leinster Rugby’s and Ireland’s winning mindset which took them to the professional powerhouse’s they are today. Jamie believes that great results come from having a plan and sticking to it. Having earned a reputation in the high performing professional rugby world, he then applied what he learned to business and loves to share his learnings with corporate audiences.. He is passionate about high performing teamwork and enjoys sharing his experiences with corporate audiences using his own experiences and answering questions from business audiences. Jamie speaks on various topics including ‘Learning from Failure’, ‘Leadership’, ‘Culture and mindset’, ‘Team Culture’ and ‘High Performance Environments’.

Ireland, Barbarians and Leinster centre Jenny Murphy was part of the Irish squad to win the Grand Slam in 2013 as well as making it to the World Cup semi-final in 2014 and winning the Six Nations in 2015. A qualified PE teacher, Jenny works for PepTalk, engaging people in the workplace. Her media work saw her hosting SportsJoe Show, Play X Play, as well as being a rugby analyst for TG4 on their Guinness Pro14 coverage and commentator for Virgin Media. An engaging and entertaining speaker, Jenny can talk passionately about a number of topics such as wellbeing, resilience and goal-setting.

From: Cork

Plays for: New England Free Jacks

Position: Scrum Half

From: Dublin

Plays for: Connacht

Position: Second Row

Former International Rugby Player and Ireland Captain and Grand Slam Winner, Joy Neville is a power house of firsts: First woman in the world to officiate in European Challenge Cup. Named World Referee of the Year 2017. First woman to referee in the Challenge Cup and PRO14. First woman to TMO in the Men’s 6Nations. First woman ever to officiate at the Men’s Rugby World Cup. Upon retiring from officiating, Joy took up a role as Referee Development Manager at Connacht Rugby to recruit, educate and retain referees as well as develop refs from Trainee Referee to National. Joy is now newly appointed with World Rugby as the Women’s Elite / XV’s Head Coach which sees her educate, support and further develop the current female rugby referee talent globally. Joy speaks knowledgably about diversity, inclusion, and breaking the mould in a male dominated environment. Working in high performance arenas as a pro athlete, referee and now as Head Coach, Joy has developed a unique style of people management with a focus on engaging with colleagues to create positive outcomes and encouraging buy in for the task execution to help individuals and teams achieve their goals. A regular contributor on the speaking circuit, Joy is a captivating and engaging speaker and a wonderful addition to panels in both sports and business arenas.

From: Galway

Plays for: Para-rower for Ireland

Qualifications: Veterinary Medicine

Ambassador for: Kinetica, Intersport Elverys, Fyffes and Enable Ireland

Interests: Katie loves all sports and during her childhood she played camogie, soccer, gaelic football and wheelchair basketball.

From: Limerick

Plays for: Munster Rugby

From: Co. Dublin

Plays for: Munster Rugby

Position: Hooker

From: Co. Dublin

Plays for: Leinster Rugby

Position: Backrow

From: Dublin

Plays for: Leinster

Position: Centre

From: Dublin (Born in Cameroon)

Plays for: Leinster & Ireland

Qualifications: Nurse

Ambassador for: Aldi Ireland, Tackle Your Feelings, Opel Ireland

Interests: Linda is a fluent French speaker and loves cooking and trying new recipes

A passionate speaker, Lisa draws on her vast experience, insights and expertise as a high-performance Strategy Specialist and UEFA Pro License Manager/Coach to deliver talks in both corporate and educational settings covering topics such as strategy, team work, mindset and high performance. Lisa is a highly respected sports professional with a strong proven track record of success in elite sport. From her time as a sports journalist to her key leadership positions over the last decade, Lisa has shattered glass ceilings as Ireland’s first ever female to coach in the professional men’s game. Lisa’s work in media saw her become the first female football panellist on national TV in Ireland to cover men’s international and Champions League matches. Her expertise in analysis and the development and execution of high-performance strategies have led her to being involved with some of the highest profile teams in soccer and football.

From: Co. Limerick

Plays for: Munster & Ireland U20

Position: Back-row

From: Canberra, Australia

Plays for: Connacht & Ireland

Ambassador for: Canterbury, Red Bull, Monaghans Galway and Barretstown

Interests: Mack loves going for walks with his dog, Lemmy. He is also very interested in art and has many tattoos.

From: Cork

Plays for: Munster

Position: Prop

From: Kildare

Plays for: Exeter Chiefs

Position: Back Row

From: Galway

Plays for: Connacht

Position: Scrum Half

Natalya has forged her career as a multiple-world medallist and Olympic athlete in Modern Pentathlon. Competing in three Olympics, she is adept at speaking about determination, goal setting, resilience and the will to win. Her experience as a dedicated athlete gives excellent insight into how she managed to balance her training and life and the skills that helped her to succeed as an athlete, which are directly transferable to the work environment, for example, time management, goal setting, managing failure, working under pressure, dealing with setbacks, dedication, motivation and preservation. Natalya is driven to use her voice to amplify change for the next generation. Passionate about sustainability, she has undertaken an MSc in Sustainability economics and policy at UCL, focusing on environmental standards and risk. Since graduating, Natalya landed her dream sustainability job in the sporting sector. A seasoned speaker, she uses her experience of elite-level competition to describe ways we can take on the biggest race, saving this planet. She is confident in speaking about a range of topics, including: Net-zero Climate Change Empowering women How sport can be a catalyst for change by engaging with fans and athletes alike Using events to create an environmental legacy

Niall Breslin is a globally recognised thought leader in mental fitness, high performance, & human potential. A former professional rugby player, multi-platinum-selling musician, endurance & adventure athlete, & award-winning broadcaster, Niall has leveraged his diverse experiences to become one of the most in-demand keynote speakers & corporate consultants today. An honorary fellow of the Royal College of Surgeons & IADT, Niall holds multiple degrees, including a Master’s in Mindfulness-Based Interventions from UCD. Currently pursuing a PhD at Trinity College Dublin, he champions mental health & organisational transformation. Niall is a best-selling author as well as co-founder of ‘A Lust for Life’, an award-winning mental health charity that has impacted over 50% of Irish schools with free, evidence-based early intervention programs. As both creator & host, Niall’s award-winning podcast ‘Where Is My Mind’ explores mental well-being with global visionaries such as Deepak Chopra, Dr Mike Ryan, & Moby. As a keynote speaker & corporate consultant, Niall empowers organisations with mindfulness-based strategies, stress management, & high-performance coaching.

From: Offaly

Plays for: Exeter Chiefs

Qualifications: Food and Agri-Business

Ambassador for: Perform Nutrition

Interests: Away from rugby, Nichola also loves hockey and played underage hockey to a high level

From: Dublin

Plays for: Munster

Position: Scrum Half

From: Ballina, Co. Mayo

Plays for: Mayo GAA

Ambassador for:Supervalu, Cassidy Motors, LauraLynn Children’s Hospice

Interests: Padraig is a mental health advocate and works for the Mayo Mental Health Association. Away from work and training, Padraig is also very interested in combat sports, sea swimming and kayaking. When possible, Padraig enjoys delivering talks on resilience and mental health in his local area.

From: Cork

Plays for: Munster

Position: Winger, Full Back

Studying: Law and Accounting

Three Time Champion Jockey, Richard was the only jockey to win the ‘Big Three’ National Hunt Races – Aintree Grand National 1986, Cheltenham Gold Cup 1988 and Champions Hurdle 1990 – and was awarded an MBE for his services to sport in 1993. An avid adventurer, Richard competed in the inaugural Polar Race to the Magnetic North Pole, completed an unsupported expedition to the South Pole and walked the length of Japan’s three largest islands covering over 2000 miles in 101 days. With his knowledge of sport at the top level and what it takes to survive in extreme environments, Richard has been delivering speeches and presentations to the business world for over 20 years.

Former international footballer, best known as an RTÉ TV soccer pundit and now award winning author (‘Recovering’ 2019), Richie is also a qualified Psychotherapist and has become a well-known figure on the Irish mental health scene. Richie is one of Ireland’s most trusted voices in both the Irish sporting and mental health arenas. He has been a keen advocate for mental fitness especially in young adults and is regularly booked for talks centering on his career, experience and mental health. He is a regular contributor to RTÉ radio, and the Second Captains sports podcast, presenting The Player’s Chair. He is also a columnist for The Irish Times. Richie’s second book, ‘Let’s Talk’, was published in April 2022, becoming another top seller.

From:Westmeath

Plays for: Munster Rugby

From:Dublin

Plays for: Leinster & Ireland

Qualifications: Business

Ambassador for:Dublin Simon Community

Interests: Ross is a big coffee fan and in his spare time he also likes playing golf.

From: Fermanagh

Plays for: Rower for Ireland

Interests: Away from the water, Ross loves spending time with friends usually in speciality coffee shops as he is self-proclaimed coffee enthusiast. Ross loves to get home Fermanagh to see his family and his dog, Lady. Ross is also a cousin of Irish golfing star, Leona Maguire.

From: Dublin

Plays for: Bath Rugby

Position: Second Row

From: Meath

Plays for: Gloucester Hartbury & Ireland

Position: Second Row

Qualifications: Food and Agri-Business

Interests: Growing up Sam was a huge sports fan and played gaelic football, camogie, basketball and soccer to a high level.

From: Mayo

Plays for: Mayo GAA, Collingwood AFLW & Bohemian FC

Qualifications: Teacher and Life Coach

Ambassador for:Kinetica, Adidas

Interests: Sarah loves travelling the world but when she gets home to Mayo to see her family, she always makes time to go for a dip in the sea.

From: Cork

Plays for: Munster & Ireland U20’s

Position: Back row

From: Limerick

Plays for: Munster

Position: Wing

From: Dublin

Plays for: Leinster

Position: Winger

From: Dublin

Plays for: Munster

Position: Out Half

From: Meath

Plays for: St. Peter’s Dunboyne, Meath & North Melbourne AFLW

Qualifications: Business, currently doing a Masters in Digital Marketing

Ambassador for: National Dairy Council, Joe Norris Motors

Interests: Vikki is conversant in Irish, plays the piano, loves spending time with her three dogs and is a big lego & jigsaw fan to help unwind.