England star Ellie Kildunne stuck in Dubai and to miss Premiership fixture

Red Roses star Ellie Kildunne is stuck in Dubai and will miss this weekend’s Premiership Women’s Rugby (PWR) fixture for her club Harlequins.

A joint statement from the Rugby Football Union (RFU), PWR, Harlequins and Loughborough Lightning confirmed that Kildunne and Red Roses team-mate Sadia Kabeya travelled to Dubai for a short break during the competition’s reserve week.

The statement said that Kildunne and Kabeya have been unable to return home as planned, due to the ongoing airspace disruption caused by the conflict in the region. The first flight chartered by the UK government to evacuate nationals in the Middle East landed on Friday, but thousands remain stranded.

Kildunne, one of the stars of England’s World Cup victory last summer, will therefore miss Harlequins’ home match against Saracens, with the joint statement confirming that the full-back and Lightning back-row Kabeya are in contact with their clubs and the RFU.

“Both players have registered their presence with the UK government to receive official updates and guidance,” the statement added. “Both Ellie and Sadia are in contact with the RFU, PWR and their clubs and will continue to be supported throughout this period. They will return to England as soon as it is possible to do so.”

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