2026-04-14 11:01:16

Ellie Kildunne uses online trolling as fuel to improve her rugby skills.

The sports star was instrumental as England won the Women’s Rugby World Cup on home soil last year and explained that she uses nasty social media jibes as “market research” to boost her game.

Speaking to Women’s Health UK magazine, Kildunne said: “I love it [social media]. It’s a chance to share your personality and inspire. “I see [trolls] as market research. [If they] say I’m bad at tackling, that’s a driver for me. Okay, fine. I’ll get better at tackling… ‘There’s a few [people] that hate me or hate the way I play, and I’m like, ‘You’re still watching, though! You do know that if you’re going to comment [on my posts], my face is going to be all over [your feed].'”

Kildunne also feels that female athletes should embrace body diversity as the popularity of women’s sport soars to unprecedented heights.

The England ace said: “Women’s sport is in a place it’s never been in and, as female athletes, we’ve got to keep on being ambassadors for brands and pushing that space. Not being scared to show our muscles; not being scared to show the rolls on your tummy or the cellulite in your legs. Show all of it off.

“I believe in having a healthy, functional body…That’s not me saying that people have to be athletic and look the way that I look, because look at my rugby team – not everyone looks the way that I look and everyone is active and strong. I think it’s your lifestyle and what your lifestyle looks like.”

Meanwhile, Kildunne was diagnosed with ADHD in 2024 and explained how it helped her accept that she is “not the same as other people”.

She recalled: “I knew I struggled in some areas…getting overstimulated and not being able to focus. I knew we had a World Cup [coming up] so I just got tested. It wasn’t to have an excuse, it was so I could put some systems in place to improve and get better. “[The diagnosis] didn’t change anything. It just gave me this understanding that I’m not the same as other people. There’s something wired in me that means I need to make sure I’ve done something to stimulate myself [every day].”

The full interview is in the new issue of Women’s Health UK, on sale now, and is also available at https://www.womenshealthmag.com/uk/fitness/a70983835/ellie-kildunne-womens-health/

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