World Cup winner Ellie Kildunne meets herself in Barbie form

VIDEO SHOWS: ELLIE KILDUNNE AND ILONA MAHER MEETING THEIR BARBIE DOLLS AT TWICKENHAM STADIUM / COMMENTS FROM KILDUNNE AND MAHER SHOWS: LONDON, ENGLAND, UNITED KINGDOM (SEPTEMBER 30, 2025) ( –  Access all) 1. VARIOUS OF ELLIE KILDUNNE BARBIE DOLL AT TWICKENHAM STADIUM 2. KILDUNNE COVERING HER EYES 3. KILDUNNE MEETING DOLL 4. DOLL 5. VARIOUS OF KILDUNNE INSPECTING DOLL 6. LOWER PROFILE OF DOLL 7. VARIOUS OF KILDUNNE WITH DOLL 8. (SOUNDBITE) (English) ELLIE KILDUNNE, ENGLAND RUGBY WORLD CUP WINNER, SAYING (PARTIALLY OVERLAYS WITH SHOTS 9 AND 10): "It’s really cool, because growing up I didn’t necessarily play with Barbies but I think that is because none of the Barbie’s looked like me. I wasn’t in dresses, I was in rugby tops and throwing a ball about, so having a Barbie doll that looks like that is really inspiring to see. It’s representation and for young girls and boys to be able to see that there is women in sport that have a Barbie doll, they can also be inspired to be like us." 9. VARIOUS OF KILDUNNE INSPECTING DOLL 10. KILDUNNE'S BOOTS WITH (English) 'Show time' WRITTEN ON THEM 11. VARIOUS OF KILDUNNE'S BARBIE 12. KILDUNNE POSING FOR CAMERA WITH HER BARBIE 13. KILDUNNE IN CAMERA SCREEN 14. KILDUNNE POSING FOR CAMERA WITH HER BARBIE 15. (SOUNDBITE) (English) ELLIE KILDUNNE, ENGLAND RUGBY WORLD CUP WINNER, SAYING (PARTIALLY OVERLAYS SHOT 16): "I hope campaigns like this change the narrative for young girls in sport and show that you don’t have to look a certain way, you don’t have to be a certain way. If you like doing something, do it, and don’t be told otherwise by other people. I wouldn’t be here today if I listened to the amount of people who told me to stop or told me that rugby wasn’t for girls but I never listened and now I’ve got a Barbie doll. I’ve had loads of memories and successes and that is because I didn’t listen and I believed in myself, so having campaigns like this will definitely help that." 16. KILDUNNE PLAYING WITH HER BARBIE 17. VARIOUS OF ILONA MAHER BARBIE DOLL 18. VARIOUS OF MAHER MEETING HER BARBIE 19. MAHER BARBIE 20. VARIOUS OF MAHER POINTING TO BARBIE'S BICEPS 21. MAHER DOLL HOLDING RUGBY BALL 22. VARIOUS OF MAHER INSPECTING HER BARBIE 23. (SOUNDBITE) (English) ILONA MAHER, USA RUGBY PLAYER, SAYING (PARTIALLY OVERLAYS SHOTS 24 AND 25): "It was really collaborative working with Mattel. We wanted to put in the muscular build. I am so proud of it. I am so proud of what it has done for me. It has taken me to amazing places, so I wanted the Barbie to have that as well, so she had those broad shoulders and she has big arms and I think that for young girls playing with that and seeing that, they will see that beauty comes in so many different shapes and sizes." 24. MAHER BARBIE 25. MAHER HOLDING BARBIE UP TO HER FACE 26. VARIOUS KILDUNNE, MAHER LOOKING AT THEIR BARBIE DOLLS WITH FRANCE'S NASSIRA KONDE AND NEW ZEALAND'S PORTIA WOODMAN-WICKLIFFE  27. KILDUNNE, MAHER, KONDE AND WOODMAN-WICKLIFFE POSING WITH THEIR BARBIES 28. KILDUNNE, MAHER, KONDE AND WOODMAN-WICKLIFFE BARBIES STORY: Just days after winning the Women's Rugby World Cup, England star Ellie Kildunne was presented with her very own Barbie doll by the Mattel toy company.  The 2024 world player of the year walked out of the tunnel at Twickenham Stadium to meet herself in Barbie form with the doll sporting her signature curly hair and nose piercing.  "Growing up I didn’t necessarily play with Barbies but I think that is because none of the Barbie’s looked like me," said the 26-year-old Red Roses fullback who scored England's first try in their 33-13 final victory over Canada.  "I hope campaigns like this change the narrative for young girls in sport and show that you don’t have to look a certain way, you don’t have to be a certain way. If you like doing something, do it, and don’t be told otherwise by other people," Kildunne added. Kildunne wasn't the only women's rugby star to be given her own Barbie, however, with the United States' Ilona Maher, New Zealand's Portia Woodman-Wickliffe and France's Nassira Konde all honoured with dolls in their likeness.  (Production: Conal Quinn)

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