Rugby News

From her own Barbie doll to bench - how Ellie Kildunne slipped from Red Roses' XV

Ellie Kildunne has been the Red Roses' figurehead throughout their rise to world champions, so why is she on the bench for Friday night's Test against the USA?

· 2 min read
Originally reported by BBC Sport
From her own Barbie doll to bench - how Ellie Kildunne slipped from Red Roses' XV
Photo: BBC Sport

Red Roses' XV. Ellie Kildunne: What Happened

BBC Sport reported on Friday, October 30, 2026 in a story involving Red Roses' XV. Ellie Kildunne, Ellie Kildunne, Red Roses. Here is how the report opens:

Ellie Kildunne has been the Red Roses' figurehead throughout their rise to world champions, so why is she on the bench for Friday night's Test against the USA?

— BBC Sport
From her own Barbie doll to bench - how Ellie Kildunne slipped from Red Roses' XV, photo 2 of 2

Photos: BBC Sport

It is one of many Rugby stories we are following today. Below are the key takeaways, how the story is being reported across the sport, background on Rugby union and what to watch next.

Key Takeaways

  • The story: From her own Barbie doll to bench - how Ellie Kildunne slipped from Red Roses' XV
  • Who’s involved: Red Roses' XV. Ellie Kildunne, Ellie Kildunne, Red Roses and Barbie
  • League: Rugby
  • First reported: Friday, October 30, 2026 by BBC Sport

How Other Outlets Are Covering It

The same RUG story, as reported by 0 other outlets:

Background: Rugby union

Rugby union football, commonly known simply as rugby union or often just rugby, is a close-contact team sport that originated at Rugby School in England in the first half of the 19th century. Rugby involves running with the ball in hand. In its most common form, the game is played between two teams of 15 players each, using an oval-shaped ball on a rectangular field called a pitch. The pitch has H-shaped goalposts at both ends.

Text from Wikipedia’s Rugby union article, CC BY-SA 4.0.

What’s Next for Red Roses' XV. Ellie Kildunne

For fans following Red Roses' XV. Ellie Kildunne, the next things to watch are the results, schedule, rankings and standings. Stories like this one tend to move quickly, so check back for follow-up reports and reaction as more outlets pick it up.

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England see off USA to return to winning ways

England's Red Roses return to winning ways, but without entirely vanquishing doubts over their position at the top of the women's game, as they see off the United States.

Frequently Asked Questions

What happened with Red Roses' XV. Ellie Kildunne?

Ellie Kildunne has been the Red Roses' figurehead throughout their rise to world champions, so why is she on the bench for Friday night's Test against the USA? BBC Sport reported the story on Friday, October 30, 2026.

Who reported this RUG story?

BBC Sport first reported it on Friday, October 30, 2026. BBC Sport also covered it. ForTheFans summarizes it here with background and related Rugby news.

Where can I get the latest Rugby news today?

The ForTheFans Rugby page collects every RUG headline as it breaks, including results, schedule and rankings, with live scores on our scores page.

Summarized by ForTheFans from reporting by BBC Sport. Headlines, quoted text and photos belong to their publishers. How we report

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