1 month ago
Emma Sing has ambitions to go England’s starting full-back successful nan Six Nations, but insists location is nary rivalry betwixt her and Ellie Kildunne, nan Red Roses’ breakout World Cup star.
Sing is simply a Rugby World Cup winner, a aggregate Six Nations expansive slam champion and has lifted nan Premiership Women’s Rugby trophy 3 times. Touting her achievements is not thing nan Gloucester-Hartpury backmost is comfortable with, but nan silverware, on pinch her accordant nine performances, are nan logic why nan 25-year-old is pushing for a starting place.
The No 15 jersey is synonymous pinch Kildunne, nan Harlequins subordinate who is nan look of nan England squad and came second successful nan BBC Sports Personality of nan Year aft her electrical performances astatine nan 2025 World Cup. The players will beryllium angling for nan aforesaid position successful nan Women’s Six Nations, which originates connected Saturday.
“I do find it really difficult sometimes erstwhile you look astatine nan media and they are trying to put america against each other,” she says. “I understand for club, we are against each different successful that sense, but arsenic soon arsenic we spell into campy we are trying to make each different better. We person different attributes truthful we are almost incomparable successful that aspect. We are trying to make each different amended and put that 15 garment successful a amended place.
“If you look astatine Ellie, she is crazy fast, crazy step, really agile, tons of flair. I americium a batch much beingness than her because I deliberation I americium 10-plus kilos heavier than her. That separates america successful a wholly different style of rugby because I americium not arsenic accelerated arsenic her, astir apt can’t measurement arsenic good arsenic her, but I do person goal-kicking that she doesn’t needfully have.”
Before England selections and aggregate trophy wins, Sing had designs connected becoming a vet. She has a grade successful bio-veterinary subject from Hartpury assemblage pinch her passion for animals coming from increasing up connected a workplace successful Devon.
She has antecedently said she had a estimation successful teams for having “farm strength” and that successful part, arsenic good arsenic her goal-kicking ability, has led to 13 caps for England, pinch her first coming backmost successful 2022. Three of those came astatine nan 2025 World Cup and nan title of World Cup victor is thing that has still not sunk successful for Sing. Her spot successful nan World Cup squad came aft lighting up nan PWR.
In nan past 2 campaigns Sing has been nan apical points-scorer successful nan league, mostly from being an meticulous kicker from nan tee. Her shape has not slipped successful nan existent campaign, winning 4 subordinate of nan lucifer awards and being nan second-highest points-scorer, conscionable down Zoe Harrison, contempt Sing missing a fewer games pinch a knee wounded past month.
Sing recovered for Gloucester’s 22-17 triumph complete Saracens successful March and is hoping to construe nine shape into much starts for John Mitchell’s England. “Everyone wants to propulsion connected their garment for their country,” she says. “I haven’t needfully had that galore opportunities to commencement successful an England shirt.
“As agelong arsenic I americium trying to execute arsenic champion arsenic I tin successful training to beryllium selected past it is Mitch’s determination connected who is performing amended aliases which style of rugby would suit nan crippled better.”
Mitchell has said location is title astatine full-back, but besides that he whitethorn play Sing successful a different position. “Ellie is going to beryllium competing pinch Emma,” nan caput coach said. “We cognize Helena [Rowland] is versatile and you person Mia [Venner] and Jess [Breach] who tin play full-back arsenic well.
“We would besides for illustration to spot really Emma Sing goes successful nan midfield arsenic good complete nan adjacent fewer years. It will beryllium important for her to create different position because she is simply a very beardown bearer connected nan shot and her extracurricular break, she has a very bully fend. We whitethorn look astatine that successful this tourney aliases another, but it is surely successful our minds.
“I deliberation Emma tin play 12 aliases 13. I’ve been speaking pinch Dan [Murphy, caput coach] astatine Gloucester and asking him to train her astatine various times successful that position successful onslaught and defence. It is thing Emma is besides beautiful keen connected processing arsenic well.”
The likelihood of Sing being trialled successful nan midfield accrued successful nan buildup to nan tourney arsenic Tatyana Heard, a regular starter astatine No 12, has been ruled retired of nan Six Nations pinch a ft injury. The 31-year-old is usually nan partner of Meg Jones, nan caller captain.
Selection will ever bring opinions and nan erstwhile England skipper Katy Daley-McLean believes Kildunne will beryllium challenged by Sing. “It’s absorbing because they’re truthful different,” Daley-McLean said connected TNT Sports. “Sing is much of your accepted full-back. She kicks well. She defends well.
“Ellie has truthful overmuch X factor, but I deliberation Sing has seen an opportunity present and she’s aft Ellie’s shirt. It’s bully because there’s nary unit connected her. You tin spell and thrive. Gloucester are going well. If I was Ellie Kildunne, I would beryllium having a small look astatine nan moment.”
Any opportunity fixed to Sing this tournament, she will return it pinch some hands. Not only to effort further her ain career, but to measurement retired of Kildunne’s shadow. After all, arsenic Sing says, they are incomparable.
