As a schoolgirl Ellie Kildunne watched Jess Ennis perform in front of a huge crowd in a London stadium and dreamt of being like her.
She wrote a 6,000-word English assignment on the London 2012 Olympic champion in Year 8 and described her as a “massive inspiration”.
A decade later Kildunne is herself preparing to take centre stage before a bumper crowd in London. The Harlequins fullback will line up on Saturday for England against France at Twickenham - watched by 53,000 fans, a world record for a women’s rugby fixture.
“I always knew when I was younger that I wanted to be very successful at something,” she said. “I just didn’t quite know it was rugby.
“I didn’t necessarily want to be Jess, but I always wanted to be as successful as someone like her.
“I’d sit in crowds and think ‘imagine when this happens to me’. I didn’t think it would be this soon but I’m very proud to be a part of it.”
Kildunne, 23, is one of seven of the team which started the World Cup final against New Zealand in November to start the Six Nations finale.
At stake for both teams is a Grand Slam and, whatever the outcome, it is a significant stepping-stone to England’s goal of selling out the 2025 World Cup final in the same stadium.
For women’s sport, these big days are becoming ever more regular. The World Cup final showpiece in New Zealand drew a record 42,579 crowd. Before that the Lionesses won the football Euros at Wembley in front of 87,192.
There were 72,262 in Barcelona on Thursday for Chelsea’s Women’s Champions League semi-final, while more than 50,000 will be at Arsenal on Monday for their semi-final second leg versus Wolfsburg.
Kildunne is proud to be doing her bit for the growth of women’s sport and admits to being thrilled recently when a young boy who had watched her play said to her 'I want to be you when I'm older'.
She added: “Seeing women succeed is something I hold very close to my heart because I hope other people see us, as a Red Roses team, in the same way.”
There is some way still to go, as she told The Big Jim Show, Jim Hamilton’s excellent podcast, when asked how often she heard the comment ‘Women shouldn't play rugby’.
“Loads, all the time, even now,” she said. “You hear things like ‘stick to the kitchen’. It’s so old fashioned and something that needs to change.”
If the speed of progress over the past couple of years is any guide, she might not have to wait too much longer.
England: Ellie Kildunne; Abby Dow, Helena Rowland, Tatyana Heard, Claudia MacDonald; Holly Aitchison, Lucy Packer; Hannah Botterman, Lark Davies, Sarah Bern, Zoe Aldcroft, Sarah Beckett, Sadia Kabeya, Marlie Packer (capt), Alex Matthews.
Replacements: Connie Powell, Mackenzie Carson, Maud Muir, Poppy Cleall, Morwenna Talling, Natasha Hunt, Amber Reed, 23 Jess Breach
France: Emilie Boulard; Cyrielle Banet, Marine Ménager, Gabrielle Vernier, Melissande Llorens; Jessy Trémoulière, Pauline Bourdon; Yllana Brosseau, Agathe Sochat, Rose Bernadou, Manaé Feleu, Audrey Forlani (capt), Axelle Berthoumieu, Gaëlle Hermet, Charlotte Escudero
Replacements: Elisa Riffonneau, Ambre Mwayembe, Assia Khalfaoui, Romane Ménager, Emeline Gros, Alexandra Chambon, Carla Arbez, Maëlle Filopon.
