Ellie Kildunne announced as the 2024 Guinness Women's Six Nations player of the Championship

After a shortlist of the competition's standout players was put out for fans' consideration, Kildunne claimed 38% of the 32,240 votes. In what was a record-breaking fan vote for the award, more than twice the number of people had their say compared to last year, when France centre Gabrielle Vernier claimed the honour.

The statistics gathered across the Guinness Women’s Six Nations highlighted the standout players per position, with fans then asked to cast their votes to determine which players made the Team of The Championship. The top players, from a statistical and voting perspective, then dictated the shortlist for the 2024 Guinness Player of The Championship.

Kildunne topped this year's Championship statistics leaderboard in five categories. The 24-year-old Red Rose finished as top try-scorer with nine, top points-scorer (45), as well as boasting the highest metres carried (869.3), highest metres gained (676.1) and the most line breaks (13). These impressive achievements were capped off with three Guinness Player of the Match awards against Italy, Scotland and Ireland.

Kildunne had fierce competition for this year’s award in the form of France powerhouse back row Romane Menager, Ireland breakthrough back row Aoife Wafer, and Italy’s star winger Alyssa D’Incà.

Born in Rotherham, Kildunne plays her club rugby for Harlequins in the Allianz PWR. Following her Championship heroics, the 24-year-old star is now chasing an Olympic dream, having been called up to join the Great Britain Sevens team as preparations continue for Paris 2024 this summer.

Kildunne was surprised with her award at Harlequins' training HQ by Connie Powell, her teammate for club and country. Commenting on receiving the award, Kildunne said: “I am honoured to be named Player of the Championship, but the credit needs to be shared with my teammates. The award is particularly special given it has been decided by the fans. There is a genuine sense that the sky is the limit for the growth of women’s rugby.

"We are chasing down a sold-out Twickenham for a women’s game. Attendances and viewers are up, and the buzz around the sport is only getting louder. As players, we feed off this, and want to put on a show for fans. Huge congratulations need to go to the other players on this year's shortlist. It just goes to show that the teams and players competing across the Championship are helping to put women’s rugby on more people's radar.”