RUCK\u2019s WhatsApp community here<\/a>\u00a0and get the latest news sent straight to your messages.<\/p>\nSPOTY recognition<\/p>\n
Despite missing out on the top prize, Kildunne\u2019s second-place finish capped off a remarkable year and underlined her growing profile within British sport.<\/p>\n
However, attention has quickly shifted back to rugby \u2014 and a potential storm brewing over her international future.<\/p>\n
England future in doubt<\/p>\n
Kildunne\u2019s Red Roses career may now hang in the balance after she admitted she would be \u201copen to anything\u201d \u2014 including a move to a breakaway competition that would see her banned from international rugby.<\/p>\n
The rebel\u00a0R360 league, spearheaded by former England international and Royal Family member Mike Tindall, is scheduled to launch in 2028 and has already sent shockwaves through the game.<\/p>\n
Reports claim more than 200 players have signed provisional agreements, with salaries of up to\u00a0\u00a3740,000 per year\u00a0on offer for a 16-match season.<\/p>\n
Eight leading Test nations, including England, have warned that any player who signs for R360 will be barred from international duty.<\/p>\n
\u2018Open to anything\u2019<\/p>\n
Kildunne is believed to be one of the league\u2019s prime targets following her outstanding World Cup campaign.<\/p>\n
Speaking on\u00a0BBC Radio 4\u2019s Today programme, she said:<\/p>\n
\u201cIt doesn\u2019t mean I\u2019d take it, but I\u2019d like to understand the league a bit more to see if it\u2019s an opportunity I\u2019d like to take.\u201d<\/p>\n
She added:<\/p>\n
\u201cThere\u2019s going to be lots of investment into the game now, lots of changes that people will see, and I think that\u2019s the direction rugby needs to go.
This league is still something we don\u2019t know too much about.\u201d<\/p>\n
Off-field rumours<\/p>\n
Away from rugby, Kildunne has also been the subject of speculation surrounding her personal life.<\/p>\n
She was previously in a relationship with Cameron Sommerville-Bailey, a director at Complete Renovations, and the pair attended the World Rugby Awards together in 2024.<\/p>\n
However, rumours suggest the couple have since split, with Kildunne now believed to be single as she continues to enjoy the afterglow of World Cup success.<\/p>\n
Neither has commented publicly, but Sommerville-Bailey was absent from the stands at the World Cup final, while Kildunne has recently removed a highlights tab featuring the couple from her Instagram.<\/p>\n
Once regular fixtures on each other\u2019s social media feeds, the pair have not posted together since February.<\/p>\n
For now, Kildunne appears fully focused on her rugby and her rapidly growing profile off the pitch \u2014 even as questions continue to swirl around her England future.<\/p>\n
Ellie Kildunne: 10 Things to Know About England\u2019s star player<\/p>\n
1. Early beginnings in Yorkshire<\/p>\n
Ellie Kildunne was born on 8 September 1999 in Keighley, West Yorkshire, England. She began playing rugby at seven, initially in rugby league before switching to rugby union at nine. Her early dedication set the stage for her rapid rise in the sport.<\/p>\n
2. Dual-code roots<\/p>\n
Kildunne is a versatile player who has excelled in both rugby union and rugby sevens. She represented England in sevens between 2018 and 2020, and later played for Great Britain in 2024. This experience makes her adaptable across formats and tactical systems.<\/p>\n
3. Club career trajectory<\/p>\n
Began with Gloucester-Hartpury in 2017\u20132018.<\/p>\n
Played for Wasps during the 2020\u20132021 season.<\/p>\n
Since 2021, she has been a star at Harlequins Women.<\/p>\n
4. International debut and rise<\/p>\n
Ellie Kildunne made her England debut in 2017, scoring a try in her very first match against Canada. Since then, she has grown into a cornerstone of the Red Roses\u2019 backline.<\/p>\n
5. Standout 2024 campaign<\/p>\n
In 2024, Ellie Kildunne enjoyed a career-defining season:<\/p>\n
Top try scorer and top points scorer in the Women\u2019s Six Nations.<\/p>\n
Named Player of the Tournament in the 2024 Six Nations.<\/p>\n
Awarded World Rugby Women\u2019s 15s Player of the Year in November 2024.<\/p>\n
6. Playing style & strengths<\/p>\n
Kildunne primarily plays fullback but can excel at centre. Her electric pace, elusive running, and attacking creativity make her one of the most dangerous players on the pitch.<\/p>\n
7. 50-cap milestone & try scoring record<\/p>\n
By early 2025, Ellie Kildunne was set to earn her 50th cap for England. She has already scored dozens of tries for her country, quickly rising through England\u2019s try-scoring ranks.<\/p>\n
8. Recent World Cup impact<\/p>\n
In the 2025 Women\u2019s Rugby World Cup, Kildunne has been crucial to England\u2019s campaign. Her standout moment came in the semi-final against France, where she scored two solo tries to secure England\u2019s 35\u201317 victory.<\/p>\n
9. Off the field: media, brand & personality<\/p>\n
Off the pitch, Ellie Kildunne is a media personality and influencer, with her own podcast and brand partnerships. Her outspoken nature and authentic style have made her one of the most recognizable faces in women\u2019s rugby.<\/p>\n
10. Family business <\/p>\n
Her brother\u00a0Sam Kildunne\u00a0is also an England Rugby Sevens international player.<\/p>\n
EDITORS PICKS:<\/p>\n
Like this:<\/p>\n
Like Loading…<\/p>\n
\t\t\t<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Ellie Kildunne\u2019s England future has been thrown into doubt after the Sports Personality of the Year runner-up refused…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":325563,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[35],"tags":[5903,101,56,54,55],"class_list":{"0":"post-325562","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-rugby","8":"tag-rugby","9":"tag-sports","10":"tag-uk","11":"tag-united-kingdom","12":"tag-unitedkingdom"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/325562","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=325562"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/325562\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/325563"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=325562"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=325562"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=325562"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}