Erin King stood under the glittering lights of Monaco’s Salle des Étoiles, clutching the trophy for Women’s Breakthrough Player of the Year at the World Rugby Awards. At just 21 years old, she has not become the first Irish woman player to win an individual accolade at the World Rugby Awards. “It’s all happened so quick,” King said, visibly still processing the moment. “To even be nominated… I can’t quite believe it. I’m still trying to wrap my head around it.”
The speed of King’s rise is astonishing. In September, she made her Rugby 15's debut off the bench against Australia in Belfast. By November, she had not only claimed one of rugby’s most coveted awards but had cemented herself as one of the brightest talents in the game.
Making history 🤩
Erin King writes her name into the history books as she becomes the first Irish woman to win an individual award#WorldRugbyAwards pic.twitter.com/P2IRnNQ1Sn— World Rugby (@WorldRugby) November 24, 2024
Born in Sydney to Irish parents, King’s early years were shaped by the nomadic rhythms of expatriate life. From Dubai to Doha, rugby was a constant presence. It was a family affair, with King and her brothers playing together in the same teams, scrapping for every ball in the sweltering Middle Eastern heat. When the family returned to Wicklow when she was 12, she brought her rugby dreams with her, joining Naas RFC and quickly making a name for herself with her relentless work ethic and natural athleticism. By the age of 15, she was representing Leinster U18s, and it seemed only a matter of time before she would pull on the green jersey of Ireland.
But her path to international rugby was anything but linear. In 2021, she was called up to the Ireland Sevens programme, a format that would test her in ways she hadn’t anticipated. The fast-paced, high-pressure environment of Sevens suited her aggressive style, and she thrived, becoming a fixture in the squad, representing Ireland at the Paris Olympics earlier this summer.
When she was named in Ireland’s 15's autumn squad by head coach Scott Bemand, few could have predicted the impact she would have. Her debut against Australia offered a tantalizing glimpse of what was to come, with her powerful ball-carrying and defensive work lighting up the game. But it was her performance against New Zealand’s Black Ferns that propelled her into the spotlight. Coming off the bench with Ireland trailing, King scored two tries, the second of which leveled the match in the dying minutes, setting up Dannah O’Brien’s match-winning conversion. It was a moment that many have called the greatest upset in women's rugby history.
The try from Erin King after 78mins to level the score with New Zealand and the winning conversion from Dannah O’Brien for a 29-27 win over the World Cup champions.
Stunning, just stunning. pic.twitter.com/Q0rTBwaG5B— Sinéad Kissane (@sineadkissane) September 30, 2024
By the end of Ireland’s WXV1 campaign in Vancouver, King had become indispensable. Her Player of the Match performance against the USA, where she scored another try and dominated defensively, capped a tournament that saw Ireland finish an impressive second. She had gone from debutant to talisman in the space of weeks. “She’s a phenomenal athlete,” Bemand said. “Her energy, her commitment, her ability to deliver in the big moments—it’s everything you want in a player.”
For all her accolades, King remains acutely aware of the broader journey of women’s rugby and the work still to be done. She speaks candidly about the lingering stigmas around women in sport, particularly rugby, and the importance of visibility in driving change. “People don’t even know that our team are full-time athletes who train day in, day out,” she says. “The more people hear about us, the more they’ll understand that our matches are as good as the men’s.”
Her focus now shifts to the immediate future. With the Sevens World Series kicking off in Dubai this weekend and the Six Nations and Women’s Rugby World Cup on the horizon, King’s schedule is coming in thick and fast. “We’ve shown we can beat the big teams, and we’re one of the best,” she says. “Let’s just continue that. I don’t see why not.”
Erin King has been named World Rugby Women's 15s Breakthrough Player of the Year.
Aoife Wafer has been named in the Women's XVs Dream Team for 2024. pic.twitter.com/yo3LCpPxaz— Murray Kinsella (@Murray_Kinsella) November 24, 2024
