The Paris 2024 Olympic Video games noticed the game of rugby sevens seize the creativeness of recent followers world wide. From Ilona Maher’s social sensation to Eire girls’s viral heroics, it lastly had its Olympic second.

Centre to all of it was Crew GB’s Ellie Kildunne. In her first-ever Olympic Video games, the 24-year-old rejoined the sevens setup following a stellar 15s season with Harlequins and the England Purple Roses.

Whereas there, Kildunne gave Rugby World an unique look into what it’s wish to reside within the Olympic village, stumble upon Serena Williams and realise a dream in turning into an Olympian…

THE JOURNEY TO THE GAMES

Ellie Kildunne on the Eiffel Tower, Paris 2024 Olympic Video games (Ellie Kildunne)

I used to be so near being an Olympian in Tokyo and it was such a troublesome resolution to step away from sevens THE after I did. It remained an itch I wanted to scratch. With the brand new England XVs teaching employees coming in, with John Mitchell as head coach, I assumed if I’m going to ask about it then now’s the time. I used to be ready for the worst, so I didn’t get my hopes too excessive. After which I simply was on a name with Mitch and advised him how a lot it will imply to me to go to an Olympics. And he type of simply stated, “Yeah, why not?”

To have that simply lifted a lot weight off my shoulders, as a result of I assumed it was going to be a extremely troublesome dialog to have. I assumed it was going to be backwards and forwards, however he stated he was by no means going to face in the way in which of anybody eager to observe their goals. Once I went again into the set-up with Meg Jones, the women welcomed us with open arms. It was as if we’d by no means been away. They’re a particular group of women. I truthfully can’t clarify how wonderful they’re, the tradition they’ve created, all of the issues that they’ve been by way of, all of the exhausting occasions.

For the precise choice, we have been advised we have been going to get a cellphone name at seven o’clock within the night. Seven o’clock handed. Worst. Case. Situation. As a lot as this could imply all the things to me, to be a dream come true, I simply have to return into 15s. Then the message got here by way of that I’d made the group. I used to be lucky to file the entire thing on one in all my cameras. I known as my mum. She began crying, I began crying. And it simply hit me that I’m gonna be an Olympian.

REALISING THE DREAM

Crew GB girls’s rugby sevens group, Paris 2024 Olympic Video games (Ellie Kildunne)

I’ve managed to elucidate what the sensation was like being an Olympian. So on the final day of the Olympics, I spent about two hours switching off my cellphone, and I simply walked across the village. I’m within the village with all these athletes which have skilled for 4 years to be an Olympian. Now, the previous 4 years, I’ve not recognized that it’s been a risk to be an Olympian. That doesn’t imply I haven’t wished it, as a result of I’ve all the time wished it, however I hadn’t had these 4 years with it as a sole focus.

And it hasn’t actually hit me but as a result of I’ve gone straight into camp with England once more. Life is occurring in moments and they’re coming so shortly after one another. One minute, I’m Six Nations Participant of the Championship. Subsequent minute, I’m an Olympian. Subsequent minute, we’re hopefully going to win WXV. Then it’s the Six Nations once more, then a house World Cup. And these moments come so quick that you just don’t all the time have time to sit down and course of what’s simply occurred. Changing into an Olympian is a second that I’ll in all probability take time to course of. Course of operating out for the primary sport, course of getting my Olympic rings tattoo.

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In camp now, the women are asking me how was it? I haven’t actually discovered the phrases to explain precisely how
it was. I simply hold saying it was insane. It’s but to hit me.

THE OLYMPIC VILLAGE

Olympic Rings, Paris 2024 Olympic Video games (Ellie Kildunne)

The Olympic Village is a particular place. You recognize, you stroll round and also you’ve bought all these blocks which might be devoted to completely different international locations with everybody strolling round of their nation’s package. It was like being in a online game, that’s how I can greatest clarify it!

It’s such as you’ve bought gamers in a sport. You’re one character after which there’s different characters strolling round, and you then stumble upon Serena Williams, and like, nicely, that’s one other unlocked character. It’s so surreal like that. You have got all these wonderful folks with wonderful tales simply strolling round, using on the free bikes, having espresso, enjoyable. You’d then see somebody doing wheelies down the street.

Serena Williams, Paris 2024 Olympic Video games (Ellie Kildunne)

It felt like I belonged there however on the identical time, it felt like, wow, am I actually right here? As if Andy Murray is simply sitting having a cup of tea subsequent to me. It’s these small moments that you just realise what you might be doing is fairly particular. We’re elite athletes and we do all 100% belong right here.

“Wow, am I actually right here? As if Andy Murray is sitting having a cup of tea subsequent to me”

I used to be strolling round sooner or later and there have been a number of athletes sitting on the Fijian home. They have been sitting round singing, enjoying guitar and having enjoyable. I sat and watched them for ten minutes and so they invited me over. These are recollections that may reside with me endlessly. And one other factor that was actually cool is that all the things was free. You went as much as the snack bars, bought an ice cream, and so they stated, “Okay, thanks. Bye.” And that was fairly cool. And I bought a free Samsung flip cellphone which I’m calling my work cellphone. It felt such as you’re in a totally completely different world.

OPENING CEREMONY

Crew Ghana on the Opening Ceremony, Paris 2024 Olympic Video games (Ellie Kildunne)

With the timing of the sevens occasion, we couldn’t be a part of the opening ceremony on the River Seine however we have been nonetheless concerned within the village.

We went outdoors our home and we clapped the athletes off who have been going to the ceremony. We additionally ended up clapping among the smaller international locations that have been a number of blocks down from us as a result of they walked by way of as nicely, which was very particular to do. As soon as they got here by way of I used to be like, “I must go get my digital camera.”

I ran off with one of many women and after I say the heavens opened, as quickly as we began going it was torrential rain. I grabbed a kind of emergency ponchos and wrapped it round my digital camera as a result of I wished to get pictures of everybody.

What was good is that we bought to look at among the wonderful outfits that have been on present. All these completely different cultures gown in a sure manner, and we have been capable of see that, and that was actually, actually particular to see that, as a result of often you see everybody in sports activities package and also you mix into one.

It was of their opening ceremony outfits that you just realised there’s so many various international locations right here, with a great deal of completely different backgrounds and experiences. I managed to get some footage of athletes from Ghana and Sri Lanka earlier than the rain actually began. They seemed so good.

Our ceremony outfit was made by Ben Sherman, it wasn’t fairly the identical. Experiencing among the completely different cultures which might be on the Video games was very particular as nicely. I attempted to get a number of extra pictures however I bought a message on my digital camera that I used to be getting a moist lens due to the rain, so I needed to name it a day.

THE GAMES ITSELF

Stade de France, Paris 2024 Olympic Video games (Ellie Kildunne)

We have been the primary sport of the Olympics for girls’s rugby sevens. We had already watched the boys’s occasion and noticed it was a sell-out. And I believe being a feminine participant, you might be all the time conditioned to suppose that we’re not going to have the ability to try this, however, oh my, have been we proved fallacious. As we arrived on the floor to go for the warm-up, I caught a glimpse of the stadium by way of one of many tunnels. I may see there have been a number of folks there however not a packed home. I assumed, it’s the primary sport, no matter, it’ll get busier. We then didn’t see the pitch till we ran out for the sport.

Once you run out, it’s virtually like Britain’s Acquired Expertise, you don’t see the stadium till you’re on the pitch. Once we ran out, and realised the stadium was packed, I couldn’t imagine it. All of us bought to the center of the pitch, checked out one another and giggled, as a result of it was like, that is loopy.

“Experiencing among the completely different cultures which might be on the Video games was very particular”

Then it was fast, fast, proper, okay, we go into this sport now, focus. I’ve performed in nearly-sold out stadiums with 15s and this felt completely different. In 15s, you will have residence and away, so it’s very, very loud at sure factors. It’s loud in sevens however completely different. The gang is made up of so many various teams of individuals collectively from completely different sports activities from completely different international locations.

Followers on the rugby sevens, Paris 2024 Olympic Video games (Ellie Kildunne)

It felt like a noise that was there on a regular basis, so you could possibly type of hear everyone. I didn’t wrestle speaking, whereas within the 15s typically it’s exhausting to listen to the particular person subsequent to you. Then each time I caught a breather, which isn’t usually in sevens, I’d lookup on the crowd and it was a bit like, that is loopy. Usually, I like having the ability to spot my household within the crowd, however there have been so many individuals there, you could possibly by no means spot them. It was unimaginable but it surely was additionally powerful. The USA sport was completely heartbreaking, as we knew it took us out of being in a medal-winning place if you’ve labored so exhausting for it.

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We all know we will beat America, yeah, however in sevens, something can occur.One thing that I’ve discovered from this expertise is the flexibility to bounce again in such a brief period of time. In 15s, if you happen to lose the sport, you’ve bought a full week till the subsequent one. In sevens, we had an evening. All of us got here again to the village, sat in one of many women’ rooms, had a cup of tea and simply spoke. It wasn’t even about rugby. Then we have been prepared for the subsequent day.

THE MOMENT & THE LEGACY

Crew GB girls’s rugby sevens group pitchside, Paris 2024 Olympic Video games (Ellie Kildunne)

We’re continually reminded as feminine gamers that we’re X quantity of years behind the boys’s sport. That we’re the place the boys have been 20 years in the past, no matter it could be. I don’t agree and I believe this Olympics proved that.

Social media has put us into the highlight. It’s telling folks’s tales and capturing imaginations world wide. Moments like when Erin King of Eire lifted and held Emily Lane over her head and it went viral. Ilona Maher turning into one of many greatest names of the Olympics. We are actually accessible to everybody on this planet. It reveals everyone what we will do as gamers, which is absolutely, actually thrilling.

I believe girls’s rugby can have an enormous second going ahead because of the Video games and we will seize that in future occasions once more, whether or not that be in WXV or a Six Nations or Premiership Girls’s Rugby. It’s simply going to be a curler coaster of numerous highs and I can’t wait to be part of it. Proper now, I can’t say what girls’s rugby goes to seem like sooner or later – however I do know it’s going to be completely large.

The Olympic diary of Ellie Kildunne featured in Difficulty 302 of Rugby World.

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