Edel McMahon

One of three new faces to arrive at the Chiefs in the summer of 2022 from Allianz Premier 15s rivals, Wasps Women, Edel McMahon is a welcome addition to the Exeter pack of forwards.

McMahon won an All-Ireland Intermediate club title in ladies Gaelic football with her club Kilmihil in 2008 when she was aged 13, lining out in goals in a team trained by her father Tom.

A chance meeting with a rugby player when she went to study at the National University of Ireland, Galway in 2012 prompted her towards rugby and, within five years, she was playing for Ireland, where she now has 21 Test caps to her name. She got the honour to captain her country in the recent WXV3 tournament in Dubai, where Ireland successfully won all games to crown themselves winners of the WXV3 2023.

Her first senior club was Galwegians RFC before she furthered her development with Connacht at interprovincial level. After the 2019 Women's Six Nations, prompted by Claire Molloy, she decided to move to England to get Premier 15s experience and joined Wasps.

In the English game, McMahon has established herself as one of the division's top turnover queens, posing a notable threat to opposition attacks around the breakdown.