Aoife Thompson freely confesses that she prefers action over inactivity.
Following Ireland’s elimination from the 2025 Women’s Rugby World Cup, she has been preparing diligently for her upcoming tenure with Harlequins in Premiership Women’s Rugby.
This year has been particularly noteworthy for Thompson. The 22-year-old received the Guinness Women’s Six Nations Player of the Championship award as Scott Bemand’s squad secured third place in the tournament.
However, a PCL injury placed the flanker in a race against time to achieve World Cup readiness. Her participation in England was confined to Ireland’s quarter-final match against France.
The French team overcame a 13-point half-time deficit to achieve a 18-13 victory in Exeter.
This outcome extinguished Irish aspirations of reaching the semi-finals for the first time since 2014. It proved a bitter disappointment.
“After the match against France, I felt thoroughly dejected, to be honest,” Thompson confided to RugbyPass. “It felt akin to experiencing a loss within the family.”
“I had overcome a significant injury; it’s an experience I’m not eager to repeat, given the intensity of the rehabilitation.”
“I was prepared to play almost eight weeks post-surgery. The France game was peculiar. We genuinely believed we could win. Failing to achieve that for the country was deeply disheartening.”
Thompson’s single appearance at the World Cup provided a glimpse of what Harlequins can anticipate from their new flanker.
Throughout the 80 minutes, the 22-year-old completed an impressive 26 carries, secured two turnovers, and executed nine tackles, demonstrating her characteristic tenacity.
In the forthcoming months, it’s highly probable that Thompson will become a beloved figure at the Twickenham Stoop.
The Stoop will serve as both the starting and ending point of this PWR season. Harlequins initiate the 2025/26 campaign by hosting Loughborough Lightning this Friday night and will host the final in March.
As a significant addition to Ross Chisholm’s team, Thompson will experience English top-flight rugby for the first time and assess her abilities in a league widely regarded as the world’s best.
“I simply craved a fresh challenge,” Thompson explained. “At 22, with hopefully a long career ahead, I wanted to explore this opportunity.”
“I aspire to become the best player globally, and to achieve that, I need to compete against the best. Currently, PWR boasts the world’s finest players within a single league. So, why not come and put myself to the test?”
Thompson joins a remarkably talented squad at Harlequins. The London club possesses a wealth of stars across its roster.
Ellie Kildunne may frequently dominate headlines, but the back-row group is exceptionally competitive, featuring players such as Jade Konkel, Alex Callender, Sara Svoboda, and Nicola Wythe, all vying for positions each week. It’s the ideal environment to further her development.
“I examined the entire squad, and the level of talent is astounding,” Thompson noted.
“You have prominent figures like Ellie (Kildunne), along with talents such as Jade Konkel in the back-row, Alex Callender, with whom I currently reside, and Laura Delgado, who is also a housemate.”
“The sheer amount of talent within this group is incredible. I’m truly excited to integrate, learn from them, and enhance my own skills.”
