Aoife Dalton

Last updated

Aoife Dalton
2025 Rugby World Cup (Women) - Ireland vs Spain 20250831 111644 Aoife Dalton.jpg
2025 World Cup in Northampton
Date of birth (2003-05-03) 3 May 2003 (age 22) [1]
Place of birth Clara, County Offaly
Height158 cm (5 ft 2 in)
Weight70 kg (154 lb; 11 st 0 lb)
Rugby union career
Current team Leinster
Amateur team(s)
YearsTeamApps(Points)
Tullamore RFC ()
Senior career
YearsTeamApps(Points)
Old Belvedere ()
Provincial / State sides
YearsTeamApps(Points)
Leinster ()
International career
YearsTeamApps(Points)
2022- Ireland (30)
Correct as of 31 August 2025
National sevens team
YearsTeamComps
2024 Ireland

Aoife Dalton (born 3 May 2003) is an Irish rugby union footballer who plays as a centre for Leinster and Ireland women's national rugby union team. She also represented Ireland Sevens in rugby sevens at the 2024 Olympic Games.

Career

From Clara, County Offaly, she played domestic rugby union for Tullamore RFC before later playing for Old Belvedere R.F.C. and Leinster Rugby. [2]

She made her international debut for Ireland women's national rugby union team against Japan in 2022 at the age of 19 years-old. [3] She continued with the squad to play the 2023 Women's Six Nations Championship. [4] She was named the Irish young player of the year in 2023. [2]

She represented Ireland women's national rugby sevens team in the rugby sevens competition at the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris, France. [5] [6] Later that year, she was shortlisted for the 2024 Guinness Rugby Writers of Ireland Women’s XV Player of the Year Award. [7]

She was named Rugby Players Ireland Women's Players’ Player of the Year for 2025 following the 2025 Women's Six Nations Championship, in which she was named in the Team of the Championship and played all 400 minutes of Ireland's games. [8] [5] On 11 August, she was selected in the Irish squad to the Rugby World Cup. [9] [10]

References

  1. "Aoife Dalton". Ultimate Rugby. Retrieved 20 August 2025.
  2. 1 2 Glennon, Michael (19 August 2025). "Aoife Dalton proud of roots as Ireland prepare for world stage". RTE. Retrieved 20 August 2025.
  3. "Aoife Dalton". RTE. 15 August 2015. Retrieved 20 August 2025.
  4. Thomas, Martyn (11 April 2025). "Aoife Dalton: 'I remember thinking will I ever play for Ireland again?'". Rugby Pass. Retrieved 20 August 2025.
  5. 1 2 "Here comes Ireland's new generation — five stars to watch at World Cup". The Times. 16 August 2025. Retrieved 20 August 2025.
  6. Lomax, Lucy (29 January 2025). "Aoife Dalton: 'We were at rock bottom. He has made us believe what we're capable of'". Rugby Pass. Retrieved 20 August 2025.
  7. "Dalton up for Women's Player of the Year Award". Westmeathindependant. 5 November 2024. Retrieved 20 August 2025.
  8. "HOW WILL STAR XV FARE AT THE RUGBY WORLD CUP?". Sixnationsrugby.com. 19 August 2025. Retrieved 20 August 2025.
  9. "Wafer and McMahon fit for Ireland World Cup squad". BBC Sport. 11 August 2025. Retrieved 11 August 2025.
  10. "Ireland's Squad Named For Women's Rugby World Cup 2025". Irish Rugby. 11 August 2025. Retrieved 11 August 2025.