England's Kildunne joins Bristol Bears for 2026-27

England's Kildunne joins Bristol Bears for 2026-27Image source, ReutersImage caption, World Cup winner Ellie Kildunne is one of the biggest stars in women's rugby BySophie Hurcom, BBC Sport England, West and Sara Orchard, Rugby union commentatorPublished6 minutes agoEngland full-back Ellie Kildunne has signed for Bristol Bears ahead of the 2026-27 season, following her exit from Harlequins.The 26-year-old confirmed she was leaving Quins after five years last month and initially said she did not know where she would be playing club rugby next season.However speaking exclusively to BBC Sport, Kildunne said signing for Premiership Women's Rugby rivals Bristol had brought her "comfort" after a couple of months in which the situation of where she would play was "up in the air"."I finally knew what I wanted to do," Kildunne said. "I needed to have the right conversations and make sure it's the right club for me, and I couldn't be happier with the conversations that I had. "I knew straight away that it was right for me. I was actually in the car with my mum when I was on a call with the coaches. She said after it brought a tear to her eye because she felt like it was truly right for me, which is very exciting."Kildunne unsure of next club after Harlequins exitPublished4 JuneEngland's Galligan returns to Quins from SaracensPublished3 days agoJoyce pair among 11 to leave Bears this summerPublished29 MayWorld Cup winner Kildunne is a former World Player of the Year and was most recently part of the Red Roses team that won a fifth successive Grand Slam at the Women's Six Nations, where she played in every match and scored five tries.In total, Kildunne has been capped 62 times by England, scoring 48 tries, since making her international debut aged 18.Born in Keighley, West Yorkshire, Kildunne began her club career with Wasps before moving to The Stoop in 2021.Kildunne previously said she was "g...