Individual freedom key to 50-cap Kildunne's Red Roses career
Red Roses full back Ellie Kildunne said the freedom to be herself given by head coach John Mitchell has been vital in her development as a rugby player.
Speaking on the latest episode of O2 Inside Line: All In, the World Player of the Year explained how the positive approach towards individuality from Mitchell and his coaching staff has helped her to flourish on the pitch.
“Having people like Mitch come into the system and say, ‘just be you, and we’ll work around it’ has honestly been the biggest blessing that I’ve had as a rugby player,” said Kildunne.
“I’ve been able to learn and grow to play a brand of rugby that works for me and is something I can keep on getting better at, rather than trying to chase being someone that I’m not.”
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A smile on her face
The 25-year-old won her 50th international cap during England’s dominant 67-12 win over Wales on Saturday and marked the occasion with a hat-trick, but admitted prior to the game that reaching such milestones has never really been on her radar.
Instead, she prefers to focus on playing the game she loves with a smile on her face.
“It’s not really something I thought of, to be honest, getting to 50 or 100. I just knew straight away I wanted to play for as long as I possibly could.
“I’ve been really proud of my journey to get to 50 caps, because it hasn’t been easy. If you look at it from an outside perspective, I think it would be simple to say that it was easy or straightforward, but it definitely hasn’t been.
“I love what I do. You can see me smiling when I play, because I might not be able to do it for the rest of my life, but I may as well enjoy it while I’ve got the ball in my hands and people around me who enjoy it too.”
Abi's debut despite the odds
Kildunne was not the only Red Rose to reach a significant milestone over the weekend.
Trailfinders Women back row Abi Burton ran out for her Test debut at the Principality Stadium and scored two tries of her own with her family watching on.
She said: “Mitch had posed the possibility to me last week that if I was ready and training well then I might have the opportunity to get my first cap.
“When my name came up on the board, I was buzzing. Relief, excitement - every single emotion was going through my head. I don’t think it really sunk in until I was back in my hotel room!”
After working her way back to fitness having suffered from a life-threatening illness called auto-immune NMDA receptor encephalitis in 2022, the occasion was made all the more special for Burton.
In the episode, the two-time GB Sevens Olympian spoke of how her health struggles have given her a renewed sense of perspective.
“The past couple of years have been a bit rocky, to say the least. Now I just play rugby for me and for the enjoyment of it. I don’t play for a certain person or a certain reason, and I think in turn that makes my family proud,” said Burton.
“I feel like I took a lot of moments for granted before, especially with sevens.
“Now, I try and live fully, immerse myself in the game and play like it’s going to be my last one every time I step onto the pitch.”
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