Ellie Kildunne hopes to inspire next generation

Ellie Kildunne says she wants her World Cup triumph to show young female rugby fans “the route to being a world champion.”

Kildunne starred in England’s 33-13 victory over Canada at Twickenham, scoring a stunning solo try that stood out as one of the match’s defining moments.

At 26 years old, she admitted that the scale of the achievement is still sinking in.

"I think it's going to take a long time to sink in," Kildunne, 26, told Sky Sports.

"There have been moments, silent moments when I've been driving in my car or having my pasta last night and I find myself getting a little bit emotional.

"It's a bit overwhelming because you couldn't have imagined this or expected it but anything you thought would happen has been blown out of the water.

"Yes winning the World Cup is amazing, but in a sell-out stadium I think it's one of those things you talk about and you never thought it would happen.

"It was a pinch me moment and it will take a while to get used to it."

She described the occasion as “a pinch me moment” and said playing before a sell-out crowd had exceeded expectations.

Kildunne also looked ahead, acknowledging that as champions, England will now carry the target on their backs. “Everyone wants to knock off the top team, everyone wants to be a World Cup champion,” she said.

Nonetheless, she affirmed the team’s ambition to keep growing the game. She stressed the importance of giving back to grassroots rugby and making the sport more accessible to young women.