Ellie Kildunne author page

Ellie Kildunne biography

Ellie Kildunne was born in West Yorkshire and started playing rugby at the age of six with a boys’ team, continuing until she was 13. She attended Hartpury College and made her England debut in 15-a-side rugby at 18, scoring a try against Canada. Her career also took her into sevens rugby, where she was part of England’s 2020 Olympics qualification campaign and later represented Great Britain in sevens at the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris.

In 15s rugby, Kildunne has been part of the Red Roses team that won four consecutive Women’s Six Nations titles with Grand Slams, and she helped England reach the 2022 World Cup final. At club level, she has played for Gloucester-Hartpury, Wasps and Harlequins. She was named World Rugby Women’s 15’s player of the year in 2024, was runner-up in the 2025 BBC Sports Personality of the Year award, and received an MBE in the 2025 New Year Honours. Her first book, Game Changer, was published by Ebury Spotlight on 9 April 2026.