The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge as well as Prince Harry were present at the opening ceremony and the inaugural match of the 2015 Rugby World Cup on Friday evening.
As the ceremony began, we were treated to a short vignette highlighting the birth of Rugby at Rugby School in 1823 and the moment that William Web Ellis picked up the ball and ran. The only difference with this video was as Web Ellis ran, he darted past a shocked looking Jonny Wilkinson and Prince Harry who remarked, “Don’t worry Jonny, it’ll never catch on.”
Like his grandmother, The Queen, at the 2012 Summer Olympics in London, Prince Harry wasn’t afraid to have a little fun and take part in a sketch that will be remembered for years to come.
The first match of the 2015 Rugby World Cup was on Friday evening as host nation, England, took on Fiji with William, Kate and Harry in attendance to cheer on the England squad. The tournament runs for six weeks and the final match takes place on the 31st October at Twickenham Stadium.
For Prince Harry, his short cameo presence in the birth of rugby broadcast wasn’t his last appearance of the night. Shortly before the Rugby World Cup was officially opened, Harry took to the stage to make a short speech in which he comments, “There will be moments in the Rugby World Cup 2015 which will live with us for the rest of our lives. Its up to every one of us to raise the roof on each match in this unforgettable journey. We’re ready….Game on!”
Prince Harry concluded, “To all the players, we wish you well for the tournament. Your individual skill is to be celebrated and I can think of no other sport in which the success of the team is shouldered so equally by everyone.”
At time of publishing, the results of the England vs Fiji game were unknown though the host nation were favourites to win the match. For the tournament as a whole, New Zealand are favourites to win with England following closely behind them.
Royal Central will keep you fully updated with any royal involvement in the 2015 Rugby World Cup.
Featured Photo Credit: Rebecca English @RE_DailyMail
