St Mary’s Alumnae Finish Top of Rugby World Cup Group

St Mary’s University, London alumnae Ellie Kildunne, Jess Breach, Rosie Galligan and Abi Burton have finished top of their Rugby World Cup group with England.

The Red Roses have won all of their World Cup games so far, finishing top of Pool A with a staggering 191 points difference.

Both Ellie Kildunne and Jess Breach have been key figures in the World Cup campaign so far for England, contributing to multiple tries across their three games, with Jess currently joint second on the top try scorer ranking. Ellie, who is the World Rugby Player of the Year, was player of the match in the opening match of the tournament.

In their first match against the USA, both Ellie and Jess scored two tries each. Jess went on to score a hattrick against Samoa and a further try in England’s final group game against Australia, in which she also made her 50^th appearance for the Red Roses.

Speaking on Ellie’s performance so far Dr Jade Salim (Head of School - Sport, Exercise and Applied Science) said, “As someone who loves watching rugby, it’s been incredible to see Ellie and the team perform so brilliantly. Ellie has shone just as brightly on the rugby field as she did in her academics, and it’s truly inspiring to watch her thrive. I’m so proud to see her achieving the success she so richly deserves.”

The team now enter the knock-out stages of the competition, where they will face Scotland in the Quarter-Finals on September 14^th.

All four of the former St Mary’s students have previously played for their country, with Ellie, Jess and Rosie making their World Cup debuts in 2021 and Abi and Ellie staring in the Olympic sevens squad at Paris 2024. Abi made her Olympic debut at the Tokyo 2020 Games.

Rosie’s lecturer in Sports Management Dr Charles Little said, “Rosie transferred to St Mary's in order to further her rugby career, and we're delighted with her continuing success with the Red Roses. She excelled as a student, and displays the same excellence on the rugby pitch.”

Head of Sports St Mary's Andrew Reid-Smith said, "It’s brilliant to see England qualifying for the World Cup Quarter -Finals. All at St Mary’s are proud of the students and how they are performing as part of this record-breaking team. The knock-out phase brings extra jeopardy, and we’ll be cheering them on as they look to extend their winning streak."