The Duchess of Cambridge has gained two more patronages, the Rugby Football Union and the Rugby Football League. She spent the afternoon at Twickenham to mark her new roles.
Prince Harry took over as Patron of the English Rugby Football Union from his grandmother in 2016 and handed it back with his other patronages when he decided to step back as a working royal in 2021.
The Duchess will face off against her husband, who has been Patron of the Welsh Rugby Union since 2016. The pair are regularly competitive and often face each other in different sporting events at engagements and tours.
Catherine had quite a busy schedule at Twickenham. She met with players from both the women’s and men’s English national rugby teams. She also got on the pitch herself and took part in head coach Eddie Jones’s training session.
The Rugby Football Union not only supports professional rugby leagues in England but also grassroots and community rugby organisations. The Union currently has over 1,900 member clubs.
The Rugby Football League does have professional teams, but also grassroots teams and wheelchair rugby teams.
The first fixtures of the Six Nations tournament will be taking place this upcoming weekend, with the English side facing Scotland on Saturday morning. The Princess Royal is the patron of the Scottish Rugby Union.
Today on Twitter, Catherine shared a message to mark her new patronages:
“I am so thrilled to become Patron of the @TheRFL and @EnglandRugby 🏴🏉
“Two fantastic organisations who are committed to harnessing the power that sport can have in bringing communities together and helping individuals flourish.
“I look forward to working with them across all levels of the games, and to cheering England on in what promises to be an exciting year for both sports! C”
