‘We are almost incomparable’: England’s Emma Sing on challenging Kildunne and Six Nations hopes

Emma Sing has ambitions to become England’s starting full-back in the Six Nations, but insists there is no rivalry between her and Ellie Kildunne, the Red Roses’ breakout World Cup star.

Sing is a Rugby World Cup winner, a multiple Six Nations grand slam champion and has lifted the Premiership Women’s Rugby trophy three times. Touting her achievements is not something the Gloucester-Hartpury back is comfortable with, but the silverware, along with her consistent club performances, are the reason why the 25-year-old is pushing for a starting place.

The No 15 jersey is synonymous with Kildunne, the Harlequins player who is the face of the England team and came second in the BBC Sports Personality of the Year after her electric performances at the 2025 World Cup. The players will be angling for the same position in the Women’s Six Nations, which begins on Saturday.

“I do find it really hard sometimes when you look at the media and they are trying to put us against each other,” she says. “I understand for club, we are against each other in that sense, but as soon as we go into camp we are trying to make each other better. We have different attributes so we are almost incomparable in that aspect. We are trying to make each other better and put that 15 shirt in a better place.

“If you look at Ellie, she is crazy fast, crazy step, really agile, lots of flair. I am a lot more physical than her because I think I am 10-plus kilos heavier than her. That separates us in a completely different style of rugby because I am not as fast as her, probably can’t step as well as her, but I do have goal-kicking that she doesn’t necessarily have.”

Before England selections and multiple trophy wins, Sing had designs on becoming a vet. She has a degree in bio-veterinary science from Hartpury university with her passion for animals coming from growing up on a farm in Devon.

She has previously said she had a reputation in teams for having “farm strength” and that in part, as well as her goal-kicking ability, has led to 13 caps for England, with her first coming back in 2022. Three of those came at the 2025 World Cup and the title of World Cup winner is something that has still not sunk in for Sing. Her place in the World Cup squad came after lighting up the PWR.

In the past two campaigns Sing has been the top points-scorer in the league, mostly from being an accurate kicker from the tee. Her form has not slipped in the current campaign, winning four player of the match awards and being the second-highest points-scorer, just behind Zoe Harrison, despite Sing missing a few games with a knee injury last month.

Gloucester-Hartpury’s Emma Sing is the second-highest points-scorer in the league this season. Photograph: Bob Bradford/CameraSport/Getty Images

Sing recovered for Gloucester’s 22-17 win over Saracens in March and is hoping to translate club form into more starts for John Mitchell’s England. “Everyone wants to pull on their shirt for their country,” she says. “I haven’t necessarily had that many opportunities to start in an England shirt.

“As long as I am trying to perform as best as I can in training to be selected then it is Mitch’s decision on who is performing better or which style of rugby would suit the game better.”

Mitchell has said there is competition at full-back, but also that he may play Sing in a different position. “Ellie is going to be competing with Emma,” the head coach said. “We know Helena [Rowland] is versatile and you have Mia [Venner] and Jess [Breach] who can play full-back as well.

“We would also like to see how Emma Sing goes in the midfield as well over the next few years. It will be important for her to develop another position because she is a very strong carrier on the ball and her outside break, she has a very good fend. We may look at that in this tournament or another, but it is certainly in our minds.

“I think Emma can play 12 or 13. I’ve been speaking with Dan [Murphy, head coach] at Gloucester and asking him to train her at various times in that position in attack and defence. It is something Emma is also pretty keen on developing as well.”

The likelihood of Sing being trialled in the midfield increased in the buildup to the tournament as Tatyana Heard, a regular starter at No 12, has been ruled out of the Six Nations with a foot injury. The 31-year-old is usually the partner of Meg Jones, the new captain.

Selection will always bring opinions and the former England captain Katy Daley-McLean believes Kildunne will be challenged by Sing. “It’s interesting because they’re so different,” Daley-McLean said on TNT Sports. “Sing is more of your traditional full-back. She kicks well. She defends well.

“Ellie has so much X factor, but I think Sing has seen an opportunity here and she’s after Ellie’s shirt. It’s good because there’s no pressure on her. You can go and thrive. Gloucester are going well. If I was Ellie Kildunne, I would be having a little look at the moment.”

Any opportunity given to Sing this tournament, she will take it with both hands. Not only to try further her own career, but to step out of Kildunne’s shadow. After all, as Sing says, they are incomparable.