The most followed rugby player in the world on social media, American former rugby sevens star Ilona Maher, has recently made a cross Atlantic and cross code switch and joined PWR side Bristol Bears.
One of her new opponents in England is Ellie Kildunne, the recent winner of the Women’s 15s Player of the Year award for 2024. With two of the best players in the world going toe to toe, it is an exciting time for women’s rugby and the PWR.
Kildunne spoke to Ruck about her views on the move as a whole and the impact she sees it having on the PWR.
“I think it’s brilliant. I think it’s firstly good on her.
“She said that she wanted to be within the chance of playing in a World Cup and she’s made that move to Bristol to not just cross over two different codes of rugby, but also to cross over the border and come to England to pursue that dream. So good on her for doing that.
“I also think there’s huge opportunity for the growth of the sport, the following that she’s got and she’ll bring new eyes to the PWR and to the World Cup and I just hope that that doesn’t come with too much pressure for her, but I know that she performs well under pressure.
The two faced each other in sevens at the 2024 Paris Olympics, with Maher’s USA team beating Kildunne and Team GB 17-7 in the quarter finals.
Speaking about her experience playing against Ilona, Ellie said:
“She’s an incredibly good player, she’s so hard to tackle.
“When I was playing sevens against her and she was the center opposite me it was daunting at times, and I just wish her all the best and I am looking forward to playing against her.
With it being the American’s first venture into top level 15s rugby, there is some speculation about where she will play, Kildunne has this to say regarding her positioning:
“I’m excited to see what position she plays. I think there’s a lot of murmurs of what position she will play, but I just want her to enjoy this moment and be part of the people to be behind and love the 15s shirt as well.”
With the recent news of the Canterbury boot deal making waves across the PWR, it was time for Ellie to reflect on the progress to women’s rugby that she had seen already in her relatively short career.
“I mean, a lot has changed in the past six months, not just over the 18 years that I’ve been playing now.
“And I think it’s going to keep on growing at such a speed that it is changing day to day.
“When I first started playing for England and when I started playing for Gloucester, my mum and dad were having to type into YouTube where the games were and stuff.
“Whereas now it’s on TNT, it’s on BBC, it’s there on the TV for people to watch, people to be inspired by.
“I remember playing one of my first games for England and I think there was about 6000 people coming to watch and you look at some of the stats coming out about how many tickets we’re selling for the World Cup now, the growth is so fast that I can’t keep up with it, but I’m just excited that I’m part of it.
“It’s not something that I think about, people coming to watch us
“But for me it’s more about how well women’s rugby is received and how many people want to be a part of it and that is something that I’m very proud to be a part of but I’m also excited, not just for the next generation, but for my generation as well to be part of it.”
With many still comparing the women’s game to the men’s, Kildunne talked about the importance of acknowledging the PWR as a different product to the Premiership, and what she sees that identity as.
“ I think it’s always been very important that we don’t compare ourselves to the men’s game because we know that we’re a different product, we’re not 150 KG and six foot seven girls running around the pitch so we know that it’s a different product and I think people are starting to realise that.
“I think people are starting to come away from comparing it to the men so that there is still a lot of people out there that do, but there’s a whole lot more people that see it as its own identity and that comes with opportunity.
“We are creating our own story.
“I know that a lot of people have said the first time they come to a women’s game is never the last time that they come to a woman’s game. They always want to come back, that’s something that’s very exciting to be part of.
“We aren’t sat here trying to be anybody. We are just playing the sport that we love and trying to be the best team that we can be and the best players that we can be to inspire everybody, but to also be successful as well.”
