England Rugby star Ellie Kildunne is now a Doctor twice over

The World Cup winner, who has become one of the biggest names in women’s rugby, received her second honorary doctorate from the University of Leeds in July.

The Yorkshire-born star was made an Honorary Doctor of Laws, with the university recognising her achievements on the pitch as well as her influence on the growth and visibility of women’s sport.

It means Kildunne can now count two honorary doctorates among a remarkable list of achievements.

Kildunne received her first honorary doctorate from St Mary’s University in November 2025.

She was awarded an Honorary Doctorate in Sport alongside fellow World Cup-winning Red Roses Jess Breach, Abi Burton and Rosie Galligan.

All four had studied at St Mary’s before going on to help England win the 2025 Rugby World Cup.

Kildunne had already completed a Sport and Exercise Science degree at the university, graduating in July 2025 after combining her studies with her professional rugby career.

Less than a year later, Kildunne was honoured again.

The University of Leeds presented the England international with an honorary Doctor of Laws degree in July 2026.

The university highlighted the Keighley-born star's impact on women's rugby, describing her performances and leadership as having helped transform the visibility and ambition of the sport.

Kildunne said receiving the recognition was a “huge honour” and spoke of her pride at representing Yorkshire.

The full-back's honours now include two honorary doctorates, an MBE, a Rugby World Cup winners' medal and the 2024 World Rugby Women's 15s Player of the Year award.

Not bad for someone still in her twenties.

England stars Marlie Packer and Rosie Galligan announced their engagement in 2025, with their relationship bringing together two members of the Red Roses' World Cup-winning squad.

Packer has been one of the defining England players of her generation, winning more than 100 caps and captaining her country, while second-row Galligan completed a remarkable journey back to the top of the sport after previously suffering a serious ankle injury and overcoming meningitis.

The couple announced another major piece of news in 2026, revealing that Galligan was pregnant with their first child together. The baby is due in October, while Packer already has a son, Oliver, with former partner Natasha.

England star Claudia MacDonald and Ireland international Cliodhna Moloney-MacDonald have one of the most fascinating relationships in Test rugby.

The pair met through rugby at Exeter Chiefs and married in the summer of 2025, with both continuing their international careers on opposite sides of the Irish Sea.

That created an unusual situation during the 2026 Women's Six Nations when they prepared to face each other at Test level for the first time. MacDonald was representing England while hooker Moloney-MacDonald was lining up for Ireland, meaning married life briefly had to take a back seat to international rivalry.

Meg Jones and Celia Quansah have been together for several years after first meeting while studying at Loughborough University.

Their relationship developed from friendship while both were building elite sporting careers. Jones went on to represent England in both sevens and XVs, while Quansah became a major figure in the British sevens programme and represented Team GB at the Tokyo Olympics.

Quansah later stepped away from professional rugby, while Jones established herself as one of the Red Roses' most influential backs and was part of England's triumphant 2025 World Cup campaign.

The couple have regularly shared glimpses of their life together away from rugby, with Quansah among Jones' biggest supporters throughout her England career.

World Cup-winning captain Zoe Aldcroft married rugby coach Luke Stratford in the summer of 2024 after the pair had been together for several years.

Stratford has built his own career within the game and works as a scrum coach, meaning rugby remains a significant part of life for both of them away from the international stage.

Aldcroft subsequently led England to World Cup glory at Twickenham in 2025, cementing her place among the leading figures in the women's game.

The couple then revealed another major milestone in 2026, announcing that they were expecting their first child. The pregnancy meant Aldcroft was unavailable for England's Six Nations campaign after an extraordinary period that had seen her captain her country to a home World Cup triumph.

England playmaker Holly Aitchison is dating fellow Bristol Bears player Rich Lane, giving the Red Roses another relationship with strong club-rugby connections.

The pair appeared to make their relationship public on social media, with Aitchison's teammates having some fun in the comments about the couple's apparent "soft launch".

Lane has been a regular performer for Bristol's men's side after initially joining the club from Bedford Blues, while Aitchison has established herself as a key figure for both Bristol and England.

There's particularly good timing for this piece, too. Aitchison is set to win her 50th England cap against Australia this weekend, on the same afternoon that former partner Botterman is poised to make her long-awaited international comeback.