In this episode of Rugby Legends, Arthur Dickins is joined by Ellie Kildunne MBE, Bristol Bears and England full-back, World Rugby Women’s Player of the Year 2024, and World Cup winner with the Red Roses.

Ellie shares her journey from playing rugby with the boys as a six-year-old in Yorkshire to becoming one of the most exciting attacking players in the world game. She talks about growing up as the only girl on the team, learning to back herself, moving away from home at sixteen, and discovering what it really takes to become an England player.

This episode is packed with insight for young rugby players, especially around confidence, decision-making, tackling, attacking lines, full-back play, sevens, fifteens, nutrition, mindset, and learning how to trust your instincts under pressure. Ellie also explains how she uses two hands on the ball to beat defenders, how she reads crowd noise, and why playing with freedom is such a big part of her game.

Ellie also opens up about the Red Roses, winning the World Cup, using her platform to tell her own story, and why young boys supporting women’s rugby can help change the game for the next generation. It is a brilliant conversation full of practical rugby advice, powerful mindset lessons, and honest reflections from one of England’s biggest rugby stars.

In this episode:

• How Ellie started rugby with the boys
• Playing as the only girl on the team
• Moving away from home at sixteen
• Training at 6:30am in the snow
• Learning to play full-back for England
• How to trust your instincts on the pitch
• Beating defenders before receiving the ball
• Why two hands on the ball matters
• The difference between sevens and fifteens
• Fuelling properly for elite rugby
• Behind the Red Roses podcast
• Why lukewarm is no good
• Ellie’s spiral bomb masterclass

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