Helena Rowland to start at full-back as Ellie Kildunne ruled out of England’s World Cup quarter-final

Helena Rowland has been named to start at full-back for England in Sunday’s Women’s Rugby World Cup quarter-final against Scotland after Ellie Kildunne was ruled out with concussion.

Head coach John Mitchell confirmed the selection on the eve of the match at Ashton Gate in Bristol, saying Rowland was “probably the most valuable person on the team” and describing her as “an outstanding rugby player”. Kick-off is at 16:00 BST on 14 September, with live coverage on BBC One, Sports Extra Two and the BBC Sport website and app.

Kildunne suffered a concussion against Australia when her head whiplashed back onto the turf in a tackle by Samantha Wood and has been ruled out of the last-eight meeting with Scotland as she follows a concussion protocol. Mitchell turned to Rowland, a natural utility back, to fill the vacancy in the starting XV.

Rowland’s versatility has been a recurring theme of her England career. She has been used in every position from fly-half (10) to full-back (15) and has even been listed as a fourth-choice scrum-half in case of emergencies. That adaptability has often seen her deployed from the bench: she was a replacement for four of England’s five matches in the Women’s Six Nations earlier this year and has started only one of England’s three pool matches at this tournament.

The Gloucester-Hartpury player Emma Sing, a specialist full-back, remains in the matchday squad but has only 12 caps and has not yet shown the same level of consistency as Rowland, according to selectors. Rowland and Sing both played in England’s win over Samoa in the pool stage, with Sing at full-back and Rowland at fly-half; Rowland scored 27 points in that match — a Women’s Rugby World Cup record for a single player in one game — landing 11 of 14 conversions and scoring a try.

Mitchell’s decision also affects England’s kicking options. Holly Aitchinson has been selected at fly-half ahead of regular scorer Zoe Harrison for the Scotland game, with Sing named on the bench as a place-kicking option. Rowland’s accuracy off the tee and ability to create space through clever running lines give England multiple tactical choices in the backline.

Rowland made her England debut in 2020 and has won 43 caps. She has also represented Great Britain in Sevens at the Olympics. Her style — described by coaches as enterprising and instinctive — led her to move from Saracens to Loughborough Lightning in 2020 to seek more freedom in attack. Early in her international career she was considered alongside Harrison to replace the retired Katy Daley-Mclean at fly-half; the competition resulted in Rowland being used across the backline rather than as a regular starter at 10.

Rowland was England’s first-choice full-back in the knockout stages of the previous Women’s Rugby World Cup before an ankle ligament injury in the semi-final against Canada forced her out; Ellie Kildunne took her place in the final. The roles are reversed this week, with Rowland stepping into the starting role Kildunne occupied during the tournament.

England will meet Scotland at Ashton Gate with a place in the semi-finals at stake. Mitchell’s selection underlines the depth and positional flexibility in the England squad as they attempt to progress in the tournament without one of their most influential attackers.