DUBLIN — Ireland will be without Aoife Wafer for their WXV Global Series double-header against South Africa in Cape Town later this month. The 23-year-old Harlequins forward has been ruled out of head coach Scott Bemand's 30-player squad for the contests against the Springbok Women on 24 and 31 October.
Wafer, a two-time Women's Six Nations player of the tournament, missed Ireland's back-to-back wins over Japan in Galway and Cork after sustaining what the Irish Rugby Football Union described as a minor injury in training. The issue has now ruled her out of travelling with the squad to South Africa entirely.
Bemand's squad will again be led by captain Erin King and includes recently capped players Beth Buttimer, Jemima Adams Verling, Kate Jordan, Sophie Barrett and Alana McInerney. Former co-captain Sam Monaghan remains unavailable with an Achilles injury, while second row Ruth Campbell returns from an ankle injury to bolster the pack.
Following a remote training week after the victories over Japan, Ireland are due to return to the IRFU High Performance Centre on Monday before travelling to Cape Town on Thursday. Ireland have faced South Africa only once before at senior level, a 37-0 victory at the 2006 Women's Rugby World Cup in Canada.