'Something I will always treasure'
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The Independent
15 minutes ago
- The Independent
How the expressive Ellie Kildunne emerged as the face of England's home World Cup
Growing up in the rural West Yorkshire village of Riddlesden, Ellie Kildunne had a Roald Dahl quote pinned on her wall. 'Lukewarm is no good,' it read, a maxim which Kildunne has carried with her to the top of her sport. These next few weeks in which she will be the postergirl of a home World Cup that England are overwhelming favourites to win could catapult the 25-year-old to superstardom; it is a good job, then, that Kildunne appears totally at ease with the fame for which she has long felt destined. 'She was playing against my daughter in an under-15 game and I'd never seen anything like it,' former England head coach Simon Middleton once recalled of the first time he had seen Kildunne play. 'Her team went 30 points down and she kept them in it, almost on her own, running in tries and kicking goals from the touchline. You don't see that from many 15-year-olds.' Prepare to see plenty more feats of daring and dynamism from a Red Rose in full bloom as the World Cup begins. With a great shock of curls decorating an upright yet deceptively powerful frame, Kildunne is a smooth mover, with trademark serpentine weaves in and out of contact employed to devastating effect since her introduction to international rugby as a teenager. Off the pitch, too, she will be tough to miss; brand deals with Asahi, LG, Canterbury and others befit her status as World Player of the Year. It would be easy to fatigue given the prominence afforded her even within a standard-setting side, but Kildunne's natural charisma and charm has been clear in every media engagement ahead of a tournament of which she may become the face. 'I haven't even scratched my potential yet,' Kildunne told The Independent, ominously, last year, clutching the individual award earned by a superlative 2024 that brought Six Nations and WXV success and a foray back to sevens at the Paris Olympics. If such bold declarations are typical of athletes with her sort of stratospheric ambition, it was nonetheless delivered with the conviction of a certain truth. For there is still a sense that Kildunne is still figuring out the game. Catapulted into an England environment at the age of 18, there was a sense that neither player nor individual quite knew what to do with the raw talent at their disposal. Deployed at full-back on a bit of a hunch – the teenage Kildunne was pretty unfamiliar with the position – flashes of supreme athletic talent were mixed with the growing pains of youth; while Abby Dow and Jess Breach, the other prongs in England's back three triumvirate who made their debut in the same game, soon established their place in the senior side, it took a couple of seasons on the sevens circuit for Kildunne to really make her name. Even by the time of the last World Cup, when her star was fully on the rise, she likely wouldn't have started the final if not for Helena Rowland's injury. "The disappointment and the heartbreak of the last World Cup reignited a flame inside me that I already thought was burning pretty bright," she said ahead of her second tournament. "We've learnt so much from that tournament and built so much in our culture that we're in a completely different space. It's something that you can rewrite and that's something that we're very much focused on. It's not a revenge story, we're just rewriting." But the heartbreak and hard lessons of a relatively tough first major tournament have driven Kildunne to new heights. Growing up, the youngster sported the Liverpool shirts of first sporting heroes like Fernando Torres; now it is her name emblazoned of the backs of a growing legion amidst the swelling army of Red Roses fans. Even among a squad of outstanding ambassadors and engaging personalities, the full-back stands out for her unique connection with her audience. Authentically herself, Kildunne has thrived under John Mitchell in an environment that has encouraged its players to show their personalities on and off the pitch. Her lasso celebration, born at WXV in 2023 with the forming of a 'Cowboys' group within the squad of which Meg Jones is the 'Sheriff', has begun to be imitated on the terraces; when 500 Red Roses cowboy hats were crafted ahead of the Women's Six Nations decider against France, supposedly at the personal request of RFU chief executive Bill Sweeney, the accoutrements sold out almost two hours before kick off. Away from the pitch, Kildunne's expressive edge is clear. A keen photographer and fashion designer, she has worked with clothing brands and O2 to fight the gender awareness gap with a bespoke range of apparel; new boots will be sported during the World Cup featuring a design very much reflecting her character. But elite teams are not picked on popularity or personality alone, and Kildunne has had to work hard to really take command of her starting spot. A tendency to try to do too much herself from earlier in her career, often with success, has been eschewed by a maturing full-back increasingly getting the best out of others as well. Yet Kildunne knows that the intensity of the spotlight upon her will add scrutiny - but the bright lights have never really bothered her. "It will add that target on to my back; I see it as pressure but I don't think pressure is a bad thing," she stressed ahead of the tournament. "I see pressure as a privilege and I definitely think it's a good thing. I use the pressure to challenge myself to exceed people's expectations and to rewrite what people may think I can do and take it to the next level. "I'm feeling strong and confident - the most confident I've ever felt - so I'm ready and raring to go."
The Independent
15 minutes ago
- The Independent
Real Madrid vs Osasuna prediction: Los Blancos to get opening win at the Bernabeu
Real Madrid face Osasuna in their La Liga opener this evening, with Los Blancos looking to hit the ground running under new manager Xabi Alonso. Madrid ended an unsuccessful season with a damaging 4-0 defeat to PSG in the Club World Cup in July, though they come into 25/26 with a renewed sense of optimism after making some key additions across the pitch. Nevertheless, the most important addition could well prove to be the manager, with plenty of expectation on Alonso after a stint in which he won the Bundesliga title with Bayer Leverkusen. And Los Blancos' first game comes against Osasuna, the Pamplona- based side who finished ninth last season to narrowly miss out on European places. Perhaps unsurprisingly, Madrid are the early favourites for this one, and you can find fairly sizeable LaLiga odds for Osasuna to pull off a surprise victory. Though Osasuna produced a decent season to finish just outside the European places last term, they face perhaps the toughest possible task on the opening day as a trip to the Bernabeu awaits. Los Rojillos lost right-back Jesus Areso to Bilbao and midfielder Pablo Ibanez to rivals Alaves, and it remains to be seen how their signings will settle, with only two additions being made so far. Madrid should also be lining up with a couple of new faces, with Trent Alexander-Arnold set to make his La Liga debut alongside fellow full-back Alvaro Fernandez and former Bournemouth man Dean Huijsen. With potential for almost a completely new backline, it may take some time for the new-look Madrid defence to settle, though bookies are only offering evens on Osasuna to score. Madrid have won five of their last six meetings with Osasuna – with four of those victories coming by at least two goals – and won this respective fixture 4-0 last season, while also winning 4-0 at home the season before. In fact, Osasuna's last win at the Bernabeu was in 2004! In addition, Madrid had one of the best home records in the league last season – with 16 wins – while Osasuna had one of the poorest, with just 17 points from 19 games. It's difficult to see anything other than a commanding Madrid win here, so we're going with the hosts to win to nil at around 10/11 with various betting sites. Kylian Mbappe may have ended his first season at the Bernabeu with no trophies, but the Frenchman impressed at many points in his debut campaign, not least when securing the European Golden Shoe and Pichichi award with 31 goals across 34 La Liga games (and 44 across all games last season). The Frenchman remains one of the world's best players and though Gonzalo Garcia has emerged as a viable option at 9 for Madrid, it would take something incredible for him to oust Mbappe from the lineup. After a disappointing Club World Cup campaign, Mbappe will look to hit the ground running as he returns to lead the line for Los Blancos, and with him enjoying a potentially more central role up front with the support of a second man, he could score even more goals this season. The 26-year-old netted against Osasuna last time these two sides met, and we're backing him to do so again with odds of 5/2 available on football betting sites on the Frenchman to score first. New customers can claim £40 in free bets for signing for BetMGM after betting on Real Madrid vs Osasuna. To claim your free bets, new customers must click our link below to access the BetMGM sign up offer before depositing £10 and betting £10 on any sports market, including Real Madrid vs Osasuna, with odds of evens or greater. Once your qualifying bet has settled, you'll receive £40 in free bets to use on BetMGM for football, horse racing and two bet builders. Free bets are active for seven days. If you plan to have a bet on the football this week, make sure to gamble responsibly. It's vital that bettors take steps to remain in control of their time and budget when using gambling sites. The same applies whether you're using new betting sites, slot sites, casino sites, casino apps, or any other gambling medium. Even the most knowledgeable punter can lose a bet, so always stick to a budget and never chase your losses. It's particularly important not to get carried away by any free bets or casino offers you might receive, both of which are available in abundance on gambling sites, but must be approached with caution. You can stay in control by making use of the responsible gambling tools offered, such as deposit limits, loss limits, self-exclusion and time-outs. You may also want to visit the following free organisations to discuss any issues with gambling you might be having:
BBC News
15 minutes ago
- BBC News
'We have everything here'
Jackson Tchatchoua says he wants to "conquer this dream" after signing for Wolves from Serie A side Hellas 23-year-old defender has signed a five-year deal, with an option of a further year, for a fee of 12m euros (£10.4m).Tchatchoua spent two years in the Italian top flight and was a regular last season for both club and country, playing 43 times across all competitions as Verona retained their place in the league and Cameroon booked their spot in the Africa Cup of Nations.A pacy right wing-back, he produced the top speed in Serie A last term at 36.3km/h, and also notched up two goals and three assists."I feel good. I feel happy to be here and I'm excited. I spoke a little bit with the coach, but I'll speak more," Tchatchoua told the club website."The Premier League is one of my dreams and it's one step that I want to do in my life. Also, the history of the club, the stadium and the fans convinced me."I can play wing-back, I can play full-back. When the space is free, I really like it, and I can play both [positions]. I will play the position of the coach puts me on the pitch - for the team and for the coach."My first impressions [of the club] are that we have everything here. It's not too big, it's not too small. It's very good."I spoke with some people from the club and everyone enjoys it. I feel a good atmosphere in this club. I'm very excited to play. It's one of my dreams, and I want to conquer this dream."What do you make of this latest signing? Is it what the squad needs? And where else do Wolves need to strengthen this transfer window?Get in touch with your views here
