She’s the poster girl. She’s the former World Player of the Year. She came second at BBC Sports Personality of the Year. She lit up the 2025 Rugby World Cup. She’s even got her own Barbie doll.
So why isn’t Ellie Kildunne starting for England against the USA on Friday night (21:15 kick-off)?
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First of all she is human, let’s not forget that.
We’re all allowed ups and downs. It’s just that Kildunne’s dip comes with the large spotlight of her being the Red Roses’ household name.
None of her team-mates come close to her popularity with fans both in and outside rugby union with her 239,000 Instagram followers. Her face and name are used for clicks by all the media, present company included.
However, if you follow the sport and watch her play, no-one is undroppable.
England suffered their first loss in four years to end their 41-test unbeaten streak in Toronto against Canada. In that fixture and their previous match with the same opposition in Exeter, Kildunne, 27, was a target for the opposition. She was never given space, defenders stepped up, her arms were pulled and balls were spilt.
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When England head coach John Mitchell benched her after England’s loss in Toronto he was clear that “it isn’t disputed that she adds huge value”.
However, he went on to add: “She’s just going through a difficult period at the moment, and it’s important for us to help her through that.
“She wants to become consistent as well, and she’ll get back. It’s also important to create competition and to recognise that you have to become more consistent, especially when you’re you know competing in the Red Roses.
“So it’s really important to reinforce the behaviours that we think are necessary to our game, and that goes for everyone.”
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The key word we can take from that is “consistent” – mainly because Mitchell said it twice.
Kildunne remains one of the world’s most phenomenal players when it comes to gainline success and metres gained.
Much of this is due to poor opposition defence, but her statistics show a decline over the past three seasons at international level.
It seems almost harsh to highlight as these are numbers other players could only dream of but she’s also gone from beating an average of six defenders a game in 2024, to 4.2 in 2026.
Kildunne has also conceded more penalties in 2026 than either of the previous two years. Some of these statistics, althought not all, are mirrored in her PWR performances last season.
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While Canada are not alone, it does appear they are one of the best teams at dealing with Kildunne’s threats.
In their drawn match in Exeter, Kildunne made 17 carries for 47 metres, an average of 2.8m, which is well below her usual standards. In Toronto she had the ball turned over twice – that was her joint-most in any England game.
Emma Sing now appears to have some purchase on the England 15 shirt and it is well deserved. She is a different full-back to Kildunne, which is a bonus for the Red Roses.
Sing has three PWR titles with her club side Gloucester-Hartpury and has been one of their most reliable players throughout that period. She has got a monster boot round the park and off the tee and, while Sing might not score the same worldies we have seen from Kildunne, her highlights reel is none too shabby.
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On Sing’s starting selection in Ottawa, Mitchell was happy to explain the player’s differences: “They play quite differently. So we’re very fortunate to have two very good full-backs. But you know, Emma’s been sitting in the in the wings in this particular phase of our campaign.
“She was intermittent through injury for a long period of time. So she’s in a really good physical place, and she’s worked really, really hard. So I think it’s time to give her an opportunity.”
It is a bit crass, but if you only follow men’s rugby, Kildunne is a bit more Marcus Smith, while Sing is a bit more Freddie Steward – they are just different players.
Add to that, Sing was brought up on a Devon sheep farm and is not a huge fan of the media spotlight. That is not to say that Kildunne has coveted it, but she is far more comfortable in the media space.
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You also must tip your hat to Kildunne and how she has managed herself with her new-found fame. After England beat New Zealand at Allianz Stadium in September, she spent an hour signing autographs and doing selfies to an unrelenting, screaming chorus of “Ellie, Ellie, Ellie”.
Managing your own needs as an athlete and the increasing demands of fans is not an easy circle to square.
So where does Kildunne go from here? That is actually the most exciting bit.
No-one with a spiral bomb like she produced in the 2025 Rugby World Cup final is going to fade into the shadows. She is an incredible athlete and rugby player, so the expectation is that, much like Doctor Who, she will just regenerate.
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Kildunne 2.0 could end up spending more time on the wing for England initially, but you can only see her fighting for a shirt and getting better.
