Her Sports Awards 2025

I took my daughter to the 2025 Her Sport Awards presented by Lidl, held at The Helix, where over 800 people from across women’s sport in Ireland gathered to mark the year that was. Athletes, teams, volunteers and supporters were all in the room, which made it feel more like a cross-section of the sports community than a traditional awards night.

The focus wasn’t just on elite results. A lot of the conversation on the night was about leadership, community work and the steady progress being made across women’s sport. Athletes reflected of where things are at right now and how to become more visible and taken seriously.

One of the standout awards was Young Athlete of the Year, which went to Aoife Wafer after a strong season with the Irish rugby team. Her Six Nations campaign put her firmly in the spotlight, earning her Player of the Championship honours.   The first Irish woman to do so as well as a place in the Team of the Championship. Her four tries and work rate were central to Ireland’s third-place finish.

Despite picking up a knee injury mid-season, Aoife returned in time to start Ireland’s Rugby World Cup quarter-final and later secured a move to Harlequins for the 2025–26 season. At this point, she’s clearly a key part of Ireland’s setup going forward.

Personality of the Year went to Ava Crean, whose story has stood out in Irish athletics this year. The 19-year-old only began competitive running recently, but went on to win the Irish National Women’s Marathon title at the Dublin Marathon, finishing first Irish woman home in 2:34:12.  A nine-minute personal best.

While her progress has drawn plenty of attention, Ava came across as a really genuine and authentic and was a great example of someone making the most of every opportunity presented to them.

It was clear that women’s sport deserves the same attention and recognition as men’s. The awards highlighted the performances, dedication, and impact of athletes and teams, showing that these achievements are equally important and deserve to be seen.