England's Kildunne Ready For 'Sky's The Limit' Rugby Showdown With Canada
By Priscilla Jepchumba
England's Ellie Kildunne is confident that her team is prepared to elevate its performance as it prepares to take on hosts Canada in a decisive match in WXV1.
The Red Roses delivered an impressive performance by scoring nine tries to defeat the reigning world champions, New Zealand, following their initial victory of 61-21 against the USA, and extending their winning streak to 19 games
“We never go into a game with complacency. We can’t ever expect to win - no one thought Ireland would beat New Zealand and they did - it’s rugby and anything can happen,” she said.
Their recent win over the Black Ferns not only extended their winning streak to 19 games but also marked their third consecutive victory over New Zealand in less than a year, showcasing their ambitious and limitless mindset.
Canada comes into the match with a perfect record, having secured victories against France and Ireland, setting the stage for an exciting showdown.
Kildunne also shared her exhilarating experience of making her Olympic debut in the women's rugby sevens squad in Paris, highlighting the record-breaking crowd attendance as a memorable moment.
“One of my favorite experiences was running out for the first game [in Paris],” said Kildunne, adding, “It took my breath away. I giggled like a kid because I was so excited. That moment has stuck with me because it was a ‘two fingers up’ to the people who say ‘the women’s games don’t sell tickets’ or ‘no one wants to watch women’s games’”.
Despite England's 12 consecutive wins against the host team, including their victory in last year's WXV1, Kildunne acknowledges the formidable challenge posed by the second-ranked team in the world.
“Canada are a very physical, very fast team who have posed a lot of challenges for us in the past. They’ve got speed all over the park, but it’s nothing that we don’t have. It’s a case of getting stuck into the arm wrestle. We’re looking forward to the challenge,” said Kildunne.
Drawing from the recent debut of WXV1 in Canada, Kildunne is optimistic that this milestone will lead to greater recognition and appreciation of women's rugby and the talented athletes who contribute to the sport.
