Rugby Rodeo

This week on Rugby Rodeo, Ellie Kildunne and Jess Breach are joined on the Rodeo sofa by one of the toughest, most inspiring athletes on the planet — Sophie Power. Sophie is a world-leading ultra-marathon runner, Guinness World Record holder and a genuine trailblazer in endurance sport. She first became globally known after an extraordinary photo of her breastfeeding her three-month-old baby mid-race during a 100+ mile mountain ultra — an image later named by The Guardian as one of the photos that reshaped sport, sparking a global conversation about equality, motherhood and opportunity for women in sport. Ahead of the release of her new autobiography The Power Within, Sophie takes us inside the wild world of ultra-running: what an ultra-marathon actually is, how you even begin to train for events that last days, and why her very first race was the infamous Marathon des Sables — a 250km, self-supported slog across the Sahara Desert in 40–50°C heat. She opens up about “going to dark places”, the real dangers of extreme endurance racing (including a race that left her in a coma with a 50% chance of death), and the mental resilience needed to keep moving when your body wants to stop. We also dive deep into the story behind that iconic UTMB photo — why she raced while breastfeeding, what it cost her, and why pregnancy is still treated differently to injury in elite sport. There’s also plenty on Sophie’s work beyond racing. She tells Ellie and Jess about her charity SheRaces, the SheRaces guidelines, and her mission to create fairer, safer and more inclusive start lines — from trail running to rugby pitches. Settle back, enjoy — and make sure you’re subscribed. 'The Power Within' is out now at all good retailers and is also available in audiobook format. More information on Sophie's charity SheRACES can be found here: https://www.sheraces.com/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Ellie and Jess are fresh from their first week back in Red Roses camp at Pennyhill Park. They chat all things England camp life – why it’s happening now, what the focus is post-World Cup, who they were most excited to see, and how hard it is to reset motivation after such a massive goal. There’s fitness testing pain, tactical chats, team culture chat, and an honest look at what comes next on the road to the Six Nations. Plus, a full debrief on the Red Roses Gold Party, Windsor Castle adventures, listener questions covering everything from uncapped standouts and dream holidays to Nando’s spice levels, and shoutouts celebrating rugby from Argentina 7s to grassroots clubs smashing it at home. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

It’s the final episode of the year and we’re going out with an absolute cracker. This week, Ellie and Jess are joined in studio by Canada international scrum-half and Saracens star Liv Apps — one of the most exciting players in the women’s game right now. From RWC stardom to making an instant impact in the PWR, Liv opens up like never before. Liv takes us through how her short-term move to Saracens came about and what life has been like settling into a new club and country. We rewind all the way back to her rugby beginnings in Canada, a nation where rugby isn’t always front and centre, and explore the journey that’s shaped her both on and off the pitch. In a powerful and honest conversation, Liv shares her story of being diagnosed with alopecia at just seven years old, how it affected her growing up, learning to embrace her identity, and becoming a role model for young girls watching her perform on the biggest stages in world rugby. She also reflects on the heartbreak of the Rugby World Cup final, how she processes that experience now, and the advice she’d give her younger self. This episode is brought to you by Physique Management. Use code Rodeo10 for 10% off at checkout Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

This week on Rugby Rodeo, Jess is joined by not one… but TWO Kildunnes! That’s right — Ellie’s little brother Sam Kildunne jumps in the saddle for a family edition of the pod. Sam’s just 22 but already has some CV: BUCS Super Rugby with Loughborough, a GB 7s jersey, and now a contract with Ampthill in the Championship. Jess goes straight for the sibling dirt — what Ellie was really like growing up, who caused the most chaos, the pettiest argument they’ve had this year, and whose fault it was (because it’s always someone’s). And yes, we get the definitive verdict on sibling rivalry in the Kildunne household. Ellie dives into Sam’s rugby journey — BUCS life, moving into the Championship, the physicality jump, how he balances sevens aspirations with 15s, and what advice he has for players at uni or school trying to go pro. Plus Sam reveals his proudest moment watching Ellie — grab tissues. We also cover: 🏉 Aby Dow’s retirement ⏱️ Ellie’s Lateness Chart — has Double Kildunne doubled the delays or fixed them? ✈️ Ellie hearing her own voice on the Heathrow tannoy 🎄 Jess vs Archie’s advent calendar controversy 🏟️ Ealing 5–57 Saracens — London fully belongs to Sarries, with Jess in the mix for a couple of tries YEE-HAW Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

If you’re flying out of Heathrow anytime soon, don’t be shocked if you hear a familiar Yorkshire twang over the tannoy. Yep — Ellie is officially the Voice of Christmas at Heathrow. We get the full story of how she ended up bringing festive cheer to Terminal 5. Jess also had a pretty special week as Chichester Rugby Club officially named a stand after her. She tells us why the club means so much to her, how it all came about, and what went down on the SURPRISE opening day. The girls break down Ellie’s mystery announcement she teased on socials, before diving into England men’s massive win over the All Blacks at a packed Allianz. We chat England climbing to 3rd in the world, THAT oldest-to-youngest haka formation, Henry Pollock licking his lips, and which exciting young players the girls are backing right now. Then—HUGE news for the PWR: Ruahei Demant signs for Bristol Bears. The 2022 World Player of the Year and World Cup-winning Black Ferns captain heading to England?! Jess and Ellie discuss what it means for the league, the Bears, and the growing pull of English women’s rugby. Jess had her feet up this weekend but Sarries barely noticed—a 79–5 demolition of Leicester, a ridiculous Olivia Apps finish, and another big flex of their international-stacked depth even with Jess resting. Meanwhile, Ellie breaks down what went wrong for Quins in their disappointing defeat away down at Sandy Park. Then it’s LISTENERS QUESTIONS time with an elite batch this week:– One quote they live by– Favourite Lioness– What they miss most about home– How they unwind after big match adrenaline– Are they hyped for GTA 6?– What made them fall in love with rugby– And… which kitchen utensil they’d be 🤠 Finally, SHOUTOUTS galore this week: 💙 Dunbar RFC U16s heading to Orkney in the Scottish National Cup💛 Medway U12s smashing 3/3 in the waterfall league🌍 INTERNATIONAL SHOUTOUT: Ade and Piper spreading the women’s rugby gospel in Ethiopia and now Virginia – get down to NOVA Vipers Rugby and join the crew! See you next week, YEE-HAW! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices