The Women’s Player of the Year, Ellie Kildunne, has expressed her desire to emulate Lionesses star Chloe Kelly, ensuring her name is visible on fans’ shirts after the Women’s Rugby World Cup. The Harlequins fullback radiates confidence as she looks for global glory for her country at home, drawing inspiration from the English footballers who retained their European Champion title. Kelly, from Arsenal, played a stellar role in England’s triumph at the 2025 European Championship, rising to fame by scoring the winning goal in the 2022 European Championship final at Wembley. Kildunne is key to the Red Roses’ ambitions of lifting the trophy at Twickenham next month and hopes the team can follow in the footsteps of the Lionesses, becoming household names and raising the profile of women’s sport.
England kicks off the World Cup on August 22 against the United States in Sunderland and will also face Samoa and Australia in Group A. The hosts arrive at the competition as the world’s top-ranked team, tournament favorites, and after having won the last seven Six Nations titles.Outside this pub, Chloe Kelly shirts are being sold on the street. That’s what the Euros has done for the Lionesses and the opportunity we have with this World Cup is to have Kildunne shirts for sale on the street; for girls and boys to have posters of Emily Scarratt and Meg Jones on their walls and not just Jonny Wilkinson.
Ellie Kildunne
Kildunne solidified her status as the tournament’s image by being named world player of the year after an outstanding 2024, which included 14 tries in nine matches. The 25-year-old player claims she is not intimidated by the prospect of increased scrutiny.Her ability to keep fighting and not give up is something that inspires many people. Like Red Roses, it’s something we can draw inspiration from because it won’t be easy, we’ll have to work hard.
Ellie Kildunne
Kildunne was part of the English team that lost 34-31 to New Zealand in the 2022 World Cup final after the red card in the 18th minute to her teammate Lydia Thompson.I’ll add that goal to my back; I see it as pressure, but I don’t think pressure is a bad thing. I see pressure as a privilege and I definitely think it’s a good thing. I use pressure to challenge myself to exceed people’s expectations and rewrite what people may think I can do and take it to the next level.
Ellie Kildunne
The disappointment and anguish of the last World Cup rekindled a flame within me that I already thought was burning quite intensely. We have learned a lot from that tournament and we have built a lot in our culture, so we are in a completely different space. It’s something that can be rewritten and what we are very focused on. It’s not a revenge story, we are just rewriting.
Ellie Kildunne
