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FROM her humble beginnings in a rural Yorkshire village to the grand stage of international rugby, Ellie Kildunne’s journey is nothing short of inspiring.
But the Full Back – who plays for England and Harlequins, and is set to go head to head with New Zealand on Saturday for her country – admits her journey to rugby success hasn’t been smooth sailing.
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Not only has she had to deal with sexist trolls who criticise her body and tell her to get back in the kitchen, but she was even doubted by teachers too.
Despite this, in a dazzling display of skill and determination, England’s Full Back has clinched the coveted title of Women’s Six Nations Player of the Championship.
At just 24, the GB Olympian, who now lives in Reading, has captivated fans with her explosive performances, earning three Player of the Match awards and racking up nine tries across five matches.
And she says women like her in sport are here to stay.
Read more real life stories
“There are a lot of sexist comments. Some of the comments, they don’t upset me, they empower me, to shut them up,” she tells Fabulous.
“I think as long as I can keep on doing what I’m doing, and be empowered by these people, they better get used to it because there’ll be a time soon when you can’t get away from us.
Early beginnings
“I’ll let them go through whatever feeling they’ve got – whether it’s frustration, anger, jealousy – because they’re going to have to get used to it pretty soon. I keep going despite what people say.”
Growing up in a world where sport was an integral part of her life, Ellie’s early foray into rugby began not in a traditional setting but in her back garden.
She reveals that her love for rugby began at the age of just seven, she explains: “I grew up in quite a rural area and I’ve always been sporty and competitive in everything I do.
“One day I was playing in the garden with the boys and I knew if I didn’t go with them to training, I would be playing on my own.
“I ended up jumping in the car and going to the rugby session with them and I absolutely loved it. I didn’t know the rules, I didn’t watch it, I didn’t have a rugby household, but I loved going down.”
Her decision was a game-changer and despite having no prior knowledge of the sport, Ellie fell in love with it instantly.
I’ve seen it a lot, there’s never a ‘good try’, it’s always ‘bad defence’. There’s never a ‘well worked team strategy’, it’s that we’re ‘playing against a rubbish team’
Ellie Kildunne
She says: “Yes at the start it was a bit peculiar having a girl come down to the training session, but by the end of it I was running rings around the boys and they became my family.
“I really liked being different and doing something a bit different and having the opportunity to prove people wrong and do well at it. “
Everything you need to know about Ellie Kildunne
Ellie Kildunne, 24, is an English Rugby Union player – a member of the women’s national team and plays for Harlequins Women.
She began playing at the age of seven. She played rugby league for Keighley Albion as well as Rugby Union for Keighley RUFC, where she was the only girl on the pitch.
Her England debut came in 2017 when she scored a try for the England 15s in a match against Canada.
In the summer of 2018, Ellie transitioned to the England Women’s Sevens team as it fought to – and did – qualify for the 2020 Summer Olympics.
She made her return to XVs rugby but missed the first two events of the 2019 World Series due to injury.
Ellie went on to play eight of England’s matches in the competition and scored three tries for her country.
She was part of the team that won the 2020 Women’s Six Nations Championship, which was postponed until late 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
After winning the 2024 Six Nations Grand Slam, in which she was the top try scorer, it was announced that she would join up with the England women’s national rugby union team before the 2024 Summer Olympics.
In June 2024, she was named in the British squad for the Olympic Games. The team finished seventh.
Rugby, she discovered, was a sport for everyone, as she explains: “It’s for all shapes and sizes. It’s not about your gender or anything else.
“But you get people turning around saying ‘There’s a girl on the team, she’s probably going to be rubbish’.
“I don’t think it’s something to shy away from, it gives an opportunity to shut them up.
“I was very much protected by the people around me so I focused on my rugby.
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“My family has brought me up very well to not be put down by people saying things. It does empower me to keep on going and keep doing better.”
Ellie decided to switch from being with the boys to joining a girl’s team, aged 12.
She says: “Boys were getting bigger than me and I remember a specific game that made me think, ‘It’s time to go to a girl’s team now’ because they just picked me out and ran at me.
“It is hard at times, but as a kid, I loved what I was doing and I didn’t think about anything else. I didn’t think about what people said, I just loved getting on the pitch, that was my priority.”
Making history
Ellie’s talent began to shine through and she became the first girl in her traditional private school’s 200-year history to play rugby, making an immediate impact on the A team.
She adds: “I went to quite a traditional private school up north where girls played netball and hockey and boys played rugby and football.
“I went in and said that I played rugby and they said ‘Well, you can play netball’. I was the first girl in 200 years of the history of the school to play rugby.
“I ended up getting my coach in from my local club. They said I could try it on the B team. I scored three tries and in the next game, I was in the A team.
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“Women’s rugby is growing, women’s sport is being recognised and in schools, girls are playing, there’s actual teams, which is really cool to see.”
Becoming a role model
Ellie opened up on the importance of being a role model for youngsters looking to get involved in the sport.
“I remember growing up, I wanted to see female role models. I’m an advocate of wanting to inspire every room that I walk into,” she says.
“It’s important for young girls and boys to have a role model, someone to aspire to be like, it shows that you can be that as well.
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“Now through the visibility that we’re getting, the accessibility, social media, people have got the opportunity to know who I am and what I’m doing.”
But being a female rugby player hasn’t come without its challenges, as Ellie admits: “It doesn’t matter what we do, someone is going to have an opinion on it.
“Being in a male-dominated sport we probably experience [trolling] a lot more.
“I’ve seen it a lot, there’s never a ‘good try’, it’s always ‘bad defence’. There’s never a ‘well worked team strategy’, it’s that we’re ‘playing against a rubbish team’.
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“But now more people are standing up for it. Supporters will come back at these people who are trolling and hating.
“I spoke about my story through my body image, and someone commented that I should worry more about what I’m going to cook that evening than about the muscles in my body.
“It upsets my parents more than it upsets me, having to read it. Knowing that they can’t say anything, that I can’t say anything.
“But I know a time will come when they won’t be able to comment anything anymore because they’ll have nothing to say.
Someone commented that I should worry more about what I’m going to cook that evening than about the muscles on my body
Ellie
“We’re becoming household names and inspiring a lot more people than they are. It can be difficult at times, but I’m not playing for these people. I’m playing because it makes me happy.”
Despite the harsh comments and comparisons to men in the sport, Ellie remains determined, as she confesses:
“You’ll get comments no matter who you are, but at the end of the day, we’re the ones playing at Twickenham, not them.
“I often get told that I look skinnier than the other girls or that I don’t look as powerful or as strong, because I’m built in a different way.
Haters are gonna hate. They’re probably jealous that I’ve got bigger biceps than they do
Ellie
“And that’s not just trolls, commentators might say it and think that it’s a good thing, but in my opinion, it’s nothing to comment on.
“I know girls that get called ‘manly’ and more muscular than the average woman. But with the help of social media, it’s almost becoming a trend to be strong, which is really cool to see.
“Being fit and being powerful isn’t something to shy away from.
“Haters are gonna hate. They’re probably jealous that I’ve got bigger biceps than they do.”
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Common misconceptions
When it comes to common misconceptions of female rugby players, Ellie says: “One is that we are trying to be more like boys and that we’re aggressive.
“But we’re just playing rugby because we love it.
“The people that come to watch us don’t think that we’re trying to be something, or that we’re trying to put ourselves into a box, whether that’s to be more like the men, or more like the Lionesses. We’re not trying to do or be anything.
“We’re just people who love chucking a ball around, and are quite good at it.”
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For Ellie, rugby is more than just a sport; it’s a source of profound joy and a platform to inspire others.
She says: “Anybody involved in sport will feel strong and empowered and will become part of a family. Rugby definitely makes me feel all of those things.
“Seeing the impact I’ve had on other people, I have to step back and reflect on that a lot.
“I can’t believe I do this as a job, I love it. I’m living a dream.
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“I want to inspire every room that I’m in. I want to re-market the game so that it becomes cool. It’s cool to be a female sportsperson.”
Ellie’s message to young girls aspiring to join the sport is simple yet powerful: “Don’t be afraid of being judged, it might happen, it probably will.
“But just keep on remembering why you’re doing it.”
Tickets are still available to watch the Red Roses against New Zealand this Saturday. Click here to buy.
