Ellie Kildunne switches to wing as England face record Scotland crowd

England’s selection for Scotland signals more than rotation. Ellie Kildunne, usually England’s full-back and one of the side’s most recognisable players, has been moved to the wing for the Women’s Six Nations trip to Scottish Gas Murrayfield, and it is the first time the 26-year-old has started there in the championship. In a much-changed line-up, John Mitchell is asking England to keep their attacking edge while reshaping the back division around a squad built to cover the demands of a long title defence.

The timing matters because England have already started the campaign in ominous form. Their 33-12 opening win over Ireland at Allianz Stadium came in front of a competition-record Women’s Six Nations crowd of 77,120, and it extended their winning streak to 34 matches. With an eighth consecutive Women’s Six Nations title in sight, Mitchell’s decisions suggest England are not simply protecting resources. They are trying to stay unpredictable, keep elite players involved in different roles and preserve momentum after the 2025 Rugby World Cup.

Kildunne’s switch to the wing is the clearest sign of that thinking. At full-back, she has been central to England’s counter-attack, positioning and last-line security. Starting her wider keeps her pace and finishing threat on the field while giving Mitchell room to alter the balance of the side. England named a 38-player squad for the 2026 championship, with 22 forwards and 16 backs, and 25 of the 2025 World Cup winners were included. Megan Jones was installed as captain, with Amy Cokayne and Alex Matthews as vice-captains, underlining a group that combines continuity with deliberate experimentation.

The scale of the occasion in Edinburgh is striking in its own right. Scottish Rugby said the match has already broken the record for the largest crowd ever recorded for a standalone women’s sporting event in Scotland, surpassing the previous national benchmark of 18,555 set by the Scotland women’s football team in 2019. The rise has been dramatic: Scotland Women drew only a few hundred spectators at Broadwood in 2015, then 1,306 against England in 2016, 3,278 against England at Scotstoun in 2018 and a sell-out 7,774 at Hive Stadium in 2024. Moving this fixture into the main bowl at Murrayfield marks another step in how quickly the women’s game is expanding.

England arrive as defending champions, but also as the benchmark for the rest of the championship. Against a Scotland side backed by a record crowd, Mitchell’s reshuffle looks like a test of depth as much as a response to opposition. England are not just trying to win in Edinburgh; they are trying to show they can keep winning while changing shape.