Royal Rugby Star Comments On Kate Middleton's Performance On The Pitch

Kate Middleton is taking her new patronage seriously. The Duchess of Cambridge was officially named the new royal patron of the Rugby Football Union and Rugby Football League, taking over for her brother-in-law Prince Harry, who had to give up all of his patronages after stepping down from his royal duties in 2020. 

"I am so thrilled to become Patron of the Rugby Football League and Rugby Football Union — two fantastic organizations who are committed to harnessing the power that sport can have in bringing communities together and helping individuals flourish," Kate wrote on Instagram. 

"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!"

Kate was the obvious choice to take over the patronage. She has shown off her sporty side through the years at a variety of engagements and is already patron of the All England Lawn Tennis & Croquet Club (the home of Wimbledon), as well as the SportsAid charity, which helps fund the early careers of young sports stars. 

Kate is also a big ruby fan, attending matches with her husband, Prince William, and showing off her skills during a 2017 trip to Paris. 

The duchess kicked off her new patronages with a visit to Twickenham Stadium to meet with players from the men's and women's squads — and she even impressed them during a training session led by England head coach Eddie Jones.

To kick off her new role as royal patron of the Rugby Football Union and Rugby Football League, Kate Middleton visited players at Twickenham Stadium and showcased some of her own skills during a training session. 

According to Mike Tindall, a former rugby player who is married to Princess Anne's daughter Zara, the Duchess of Cambridge impressed everyone. 

"I texted Ellis [Genge] and said: 'Mate, please tell me anything she messed up on?' so I could family WhatsApp group get to her," Tindall explained on a podcast (per Express). "But he said: 'No she was actually pretty good, and she was really good at kicking,' and I was like [sighs]."

Fellow guest and former rugby player James Haskell agreed. 

"When she was announced, I thought amazing because we know she obviously likes her rugby," he said. "But the way she caught the ball, the way she jumped in the line-out, the little outside break. She was utterly fantastic, she was really, really, really good. And so I was like amazing, and dual-sport, what an amazing ambassador."

And Kate isn't the only royal with a rugby patronage. Her husband, Prince William, is the royal patron of Welsh Rugby, while Princess Anne is the patron of Scottish Rugby.