Athens News - Kildunne confident Women's Rugby World Cup 'heartbreak' can inspire England to glory

Host nation England head into the event as favourites, having lost only once in their past 58 matches - a defeat by New Zealand in the Covid-delayed 2022 World Cup final in which Kildunne played.

England, top of the world rankings, have won six successive Six Nations Grand Slams and also defeated New Zealand's Black Ferns in each of the teams' past three meetings.

Yet they have lost five of the last six World Cup finals to New Zealand, with 2014 -- when England beat Canada in the showpiece match -- their most recent global 15-a-side title.

But for 25-year-old full-back Kildunne, this year's edition is an opportunity to put things right, with England launching the tournament against the United States in Sunderland on Friday, August 22.

"We've been building to this moment for the past three years since the last World Cup and we're more than ready," she told AFP in an interview in London.

Kildunne, now fully recovered from a leg injury, added: "When the last World Cup happened obviously it was heartbreak, it was heavy and that's only because we wanted it, that's because we cared about it so much.

"And when you're out in New Zealand you have no idea what else is going on outside of the world.

"I felt a bit of guilt that I thought we were going to change women's sports, women's rugby if we won and it felt heavy when we didn't.

"But when we came back to England, I realised it was already changed, we'd already made an impact."

- 'Obsessed' -

Professional women's sport is on the rise in England and in June, the Lionesses -- the women's national football team -- retained their European Championship title by beating world champions Spain in a penalty shoot-out in the final in Basel.

"We've learned so much from that and how much hard work and how sometimes it doesn't look pretty," said Kildunne, a brand ambassador for leading rugby kit supplier Canterbury.

"But if you believe, if you've got that grit about you, if you really want something, you can make anything achievable. And that's something that I definitely learned from (them)."

Kildunne, the reigning women's World Rugby player of the year, has scored an exceptional 41 tries in 53 Tests for England and is one of the most high-profile figures in her sport, as reflected by a large following on Instagram.

But the charismatic Kildunne was clear on how she maintained a balance between her life on and off the field.

"When I'm in rugby mode, I'm in rugby mode," she said. "When I'm away from rugby, I'm away from rugby, and I still have the rugby thoughts are going on in my head.

"Sometimes it might be nine o'clock at night and suddenly I think of a new move and I'm like I need to message the coach because I've just thought of this move because I'm obsessed.

"Rugby is the priority, always will be the priority and I wouldn't have the social media following that I have got if it wasn't for the rugby."

The Red Roses, as the England women's rugby team are known, appointed New Zealand's John Mitchell as their coach in 2023 in a bid to help them take the elusive last step to World Cup glory.

Mitchell, a former head coach of the men's All Blacks, has a reputation for being a stern disciplinarian but Kildunne said she had seen another side of the 61-year-old's character.

"I love him...he is not afraid to be unapologetically himself and what that does is it creates an environment that's safe to be yourself, authentically yourself," she explained.

"He'll tell you straight if you're getting something wrong and he wants the best for you."

Kildunne added: "You trust what he's saying, you trust when he's been lighthearted and when he's been serious for a reason.

"I love what he's done for the team. Coming in with such an open heart and vulnerability, that he's shown, allows us as players to give that back to him."

S.Kyriakou--AN-GR