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The Sussexes

Duke of Sussex to travel to Japan for Rugby World Cup

The Duke of Sussex is to fly to Japan to cheer on Team England in the Rugby World Cup Final on Saturday, 2 November. He will watch the final game between England and South Africa.

Buckingham Palace made the announcement yesterday saying further details will be revealed in due course. The Duchess of Sussex is not scheduled to join him. She will remain behind in the UK with their five-month-old son, Archie.

Many had been wondering if Prince Harry would make the trip after England advanced in a win over New Zealand over the weekend. Harry is the Patron of England Rugby Union.

Some had hoped Wales and England would face off in the final giving the Duke of Cambridge and Duke of Sussex the opportunity to have some brotherly time in Japan together. Prince William is the Patron of Welsh Rugby Union and had been hotly tipped to head to Japan for the final should his side reach the showpiece game.

However, Wales was defeated on Sunday by South Africa, meaning William stays behind in the UK.

Both brothers are known for their love of sport and for their support of their respective rugby sides. The Duke of Sussex took to Instagram on Saturday to congratulate England for their famous win against the All Blacks in the semi-finals, hailed by some commentators as the best display of professional rugby in years.

And William offered his support to Wales on Twitter after their loss, hailing their performance as ”heroic” and praising the leadership of captain, Alun Wyn Jones, before adding ” you can all hold your heads high from an incredible tournament, we’re all so proud of you. W”.

In the past week, there has been a debate about how well William and Harry are getting along after the Duke of Sussex told the ITV programme, Harry and Meghan: An African Journey, that the brothers have good days and bad days when asked if there was a rift between them. However, Harry also underlined how much he loved his brother and said he would always be there for him.

Additional reporting by Lydia Starbuck.

About author

Brittani is from Tennessee, USA. She is a political scientist and historian after graduating with a degree in the topics from the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, in December 2014. She also holds a master's degree from Northeastern University. She enjoys reading and researching all things regarding the royals of the world. She's been researching, reading, and writing on royalty for over a decade. She became Europe Editor in October 2016, and then Deputy Editor in January 2019, and has been featured on several podcasts, radio shows, news broadcasts and websites including Global News Canada, ABC News Australia, WION India and BBC World News.