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#Post#: 155002--------------------------------------------------
Re: Ellie?
DIR By: Banstead Quin
Date: June 3, 2026, 7:34 am
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--- Quote from: toast link ---
>
> Sorry BQ,I will endeavour to be a better conspiracy theorist
in future.......
>
--- End Quote ---
That's the spirit 😜
#Post#: 155004--------------------------------------------------
Re: Ellie?
DIR By: DOK
Date: June 3, 2026, 9:59 am
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It's a weird situation. I don't want to come across as Mr
Conspiracy Theorist but...
Did you notice how all the usual media channels kept to some
sort of Sicilian omerta until the news was officially announced?
There were none of the usual "rumours abound of a big departure
from Harlequins women..." ampifying what was happening on the
fans platforms.
"I've always tried to be the best player I can be, giving
everything I have every time I step onto the pitch.
"For me, that's always been about being in the right environment
- one where I can be unapologetically myself and work with those
who truly value each individual and what they bring to the team.
"I'm incredibly grateful to the supporters and my team-mates
who've inspired me to play the rugby I love.
"Things may not always be in our control, and I'm gutted to be
leaving, I wish everyone at Quins the best for what's next."
I can read that as maybe she feels she's not in the right
environment, is being pushed to be someone she doesn't want to
be and is working with people who don't value her as an
individual. Team-mates and supporters she's grateful to, no
mention of the club that she's been at for 5 years. Perhaps
she's not in control of the decision to leave and is gutted as a
result.
OK, I'll take the tin foil hat off now but I can't help but feel
there's a story still to emerge there.
#Post#: 155008--------------------------------------------------
Re: Ellie?
DIR By: elbombero
Date: June 3, 2026, 10:15 am
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The other part of it - who is she going to join - I think at
this stage, it might be....nobody? If this HAS come out of the
blue for whatever reason, and is a parting of the ways, then she
may not have any club lined up for next season.
She's just finished a World Cup cycle, and a Six Nations, and
maybe she'll just take a break? Mini book tour coming up as
well, might have mind on other things? Am sure she'll absolutely
have plenty of suitors, but I would imagine that a lot of clubs
would already have their plans already in place for next season
(and just can't announce them until now), so clubs may not have
the salary space for her?
I dunno. Am trying to make it make sense in my head, cos the
other option is that the club has let one of their best players
and most marketable assets leave. I guess we'll never know.
Apologies if I've missed it somewhere else, but have the club
announced the list of players leaving the women's set-up this
season (outside the big names - Konkel, Tuima, Bimba, Izzy
Matthews)? I do vaguely remember Emma Swords making a barbed
comment earlier this year on social media (something about her
last game for the club, and that was around January!).
The thing that hurts most is that she didn't get to say bye
properly on Saturday. That feels totally on the club.
#Post#: 155020--------------------------------------------------
Re: Ellie?
DIR By: poorfour
Date: June 3, 2026, 12:12 pm
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The turnover of players in the women’s squad is typically higher
than the men’s, primarily because a large proportion of the
squad are on volunteer contracts rather than fully pro.
Obviously that wouldn’t have applied to Ellie - but it will have
applied to most of the players who were announced as departing
(and any more we are yet to hear about).
I also wonder if the club is skewing things towards the talent
coming through their pipeline. I don’t think we’ve seen Solana
Shaw de Leon in the 1st XV this season, but she’s shown a lot of
potential at U21 level and the club may feel she will be ready
to fulfil that role next season.
#Post#: 155024--------------------------------------------------
Re: Ellie?
DIR By: never sleep
Date: June 3, 2026, 12:35 pm
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Do any clubs get bigger attendances than us?
One thing she mentioned is that after playing for England, she
was having difficulties getting motivated to play in front of
2800 fans at The Stoop.
So, maybe she wants to go somewhere where there are bigger
crowds.
Personally, I thought our attendances looked pretty good.
#Post#: 155039--------------------------------------------------
Re: Ellie?
DIR By: Arlecchino
Date: June 3, 2026, 3:42 pm
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HTML https://www.telegraph.co.uk/womens-sport/2026/06/03/why-ellie-kildunne-left-harlequins-and-what-comes-next/
The noise around Ellie Kildunne’s departure from Harlequins is
an adequate measure of how the landscape in women’s club rugby
is changing.
Given how the news of her exit was disseminated, it was clear
that the relationship between Kildunne and Harlequins had become
fractured beyond repair.
Rather tellingly, the Red Roses full-back was not even quoted in
the four-paragraph-long statement that Harlequins issued on
Monday, instead publishing her own cryptic Instagram post in
which she revealed she was “gutted” to be leaving the
west-London club
Telegraph Sport understands Kildunne’s punishment was mainly
because of her timekeeping. According to a well-placed source,
she was repeatedly late to team meetings and was also pulled up
over her lack of application in training. Her relationship with
head coach Ross Chisholm – a person who is familiar with the
rigours of professional rugby, having made 128 appearances for
the quartered shirts at full-back – is said to have become
strained as a result.
#Post#: 155040--------------------------------------------------
Re: Ellie?
DIR By: Mayor West
Date: June 3, 2026, 4:38 pm
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Got too big for her boots then. Superstar complex. Marland Yarde
all over again. A shame as to start with she was fantastic. My
daughter was very disappointed that her and Lucy Packer didn’t
interact with the fans at Quins first game at home after the
World Cup win. In fact I don’t think the Loughborough England
players did either. Sadia didn’t which was also a let down as my
daughter knew her from being in the Richmond CofE together and
wanted to congratulate her.
#Post#: 155041--------------------------------------------------
Re: Ellie?
DIR By: Rugbycat
Date: June 3, 2026, 6:35 pm
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She seems to have found the aftermath of the RWC, a bit
anticlimactic, and her form has not been at the same level as
before it.
Harlequins are looking to develop international level players
through the pathway, and the PWR wage cap is very low, for the
good reason, of not repeating the mistakes of men’s professional
rugby, around sustainability, and that it will only be raised
when there is increased revenue.
So it is likely that we are, looking at the next generation of
players to come through our pathway, and we have a number of
outstanding prospects, but the financial side is tight, and
focused to a large degree, on players in university, as much of
what can be provided to them falls outside the cap.
Clubs try to find, inventive ways of attracting and retaining
players, Trailfinders rent a a few houses right next to the
ground, and surrounding streets, (I have them on one side of my
house and a family of Saracens supporters on the other side)
which players share, because of the way the cap regulations deal
with accommodation, this does not really affect the cap that
much, but offers a real perk to the players.
At present, if we the 3rd best team in London, and we need to
change things, we did incredibly well in the PWR cup, with
younger players, there is a limit to what you can offer someone
who has left the educational system under the present wage
rules, and that, could well be the reason for EK leaving.
#Post#: 155045--------------------------------------------------
Re: Ellie?
DIR By: deadlyfrom5yardsout
Date: June 3, 2026, 11:52 pm
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So, fell out with the Coach, p-issed off her fellow players and
other coaches by being a brat about timekeeping and effort
through training sessions, stopped interacting with fans in
small club crowds, allegedly asked for a much larger chunk of
the cap ( which would have unbalanced the whole Club pay
structure) and wanted complete control over image rights as well
as wanting lots of time off to capitalise on her side hustles.
Is that about right?
#Post#: 155047--------------------------------------------------
Re: Ellie?
DIR By: T-Bone
Date: June 4, 2026, 12:13 am
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As the saying goes, no-one is bigger than the club, not even
cowboys. Obviously I have no idea if any of this is true.
Compare to the stories you hear about Marcus. Hardest trainer,
first in, lad out, etc. "driving standards", to borrow a much
overused phrase
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