The Duchess of Cambridge Becomes England Rugby Patron

Ahead of this year's Six Nations Championship kick off, the Duchess of Cambridge has been unveiled as the new patron of both the Rugby Football Union and the Rugby Football League. It is understood a decision was made regarding the patronages over the summer. In August the Times reported Kate -- an avid sports fan -- could take on the role last autumn to coincide with the Rugby League World Cup. Instead the news was timed for the Six Nations. The appointments promise to garner much competitive spirit in the Cambridge household, with Kate as England Rugby's figurehead and William as Wales'.

The news was shared this morning with a very fun video and the following message from the Duchess: "I am so thrilled to become Patron of the Rugby Football League and Rugby Football Union – 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!"

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. pic.twitter.com/voctCHx7BA

— The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge (@KensingtonRoyal) February 2, 2022

Kensington Palace said the patronages "closely align" with Kate's "longstanding passion for sport" and "the lifelong benefits it provides". Ralph Rimmer, Chief Executive of the Rugby Football League said, “We are truly honoured by the appointment of the Duchess of Cambridge as the Rugby Football League’s royal patron. We are delighted to welcome her as we prepare to host Men’s, Women’s, Wheelchair and Physical Disability Rugby League World Cups in England this autumn. Our sport’s history has been built on a commitment to tackling inequalities and we honour that through our focus on having a positive social impact well beyond the pitch. We look forward to working with the Duchess in the years to come, and I know all levels of our sport will welcome her to the Rugby League family.”

Bill Sweeney, Chief Executive of the Rugby Football Union said, “It is a great honour to welcome the Duchess of Cambridge as our patron. Our aim is to enrich lives, introduce more people to rugby union, develop the sport for future generations and create a successful thriving game across the country. As rugby clubs have re-opened across the country, players, officials, and volunteers are celebrating being back in the game together, and we know the support of the Duchess will be greatly valued from our grass roots clubs and fast-growing women and girls’ game, right up to our elite Men’s and Women’s England teams.”

The Times story from last August shared a snippet from a piece Pippa Matthews wrote for Vanity Fair:

'Kate is a rugby fan and grew up watching England games with her family, long before her 2011 marriage to William, who is patron of the Welsh Rugby Union. In 2015 she attended the rugby World Cup, hosted by England. Two years later, she was gripped by the France v Wales Six Nations match, during an official visit to Paris, in which Wales were narrowly beaten.

The duchess’s sister, Pippa, wrote about the family obsession with rugby for Vanity Fair magazine in 2014: “Picture the scene. It’s Saturday afternoon in the Middleton household. The atmosphere is heavy with expectation. All eyes are on the television ... we’re watching England play Ireland in the 1996 Five Nations Rugby tournament ... Rugby was a big thing in our family, and the focal point was international matches ... We’d plan our weekends around the matches ... If we lost, my dad would be in a state of despair for the rest of the afternoon, as if he’d actually lost the game himself.”

Below, Kate enjoying a spot of rugby in Paris in 2017.

The Rugby Football Union is the governing body for England Rugby since 1871. It promotes and organises the sport, trains players and educates officials. It represents over 2.5 million players and forms the largest rugby union society in the world. The home of the RFU is Twickenham Stadium in London.

Below, the Duchess arriving at Twickenham Stadium in 2015 wearing a stylish Reiss coat for the Rugby World Cup Opening Ceremony.

England Rugby is steeped in royal history. Her Majesty served as patron from 1952 until 2016 when she passed the patronages to Prince Harry. During Harry's time in the role he served as President of the 2015 Rugby World Cup and patron of the RFU's All Schools programme, which introduced state schools to the sport. He also qualified as a rugby coach and worked closely with RFU's Rugby Development Officers. RFU Chief Executive, Bill Sweeney said, “We would like to thank Prince Harry for his time and commitment to the Rugby Football Union, both in his position as Patron and Vice Patron. The RFU has greatly valued his contribution to promoting and supporting the game."

To mark the news, the Duchess paid a special visit to Twickenham Stadium to meet England players, coaches and referees, and joined a training session taking place on the pitch.

Kate spent time chatting with players and coaches about the Six Nations, before looking to the remainder of the year and discussing hopes for the Women’s World Cup, which will take place in New Zealand in the autumn. The Duchess joined referees Wayne Barnes and Sara Cox to hear about the highs and lows of their careers.

Kate had a blast displaying her skills.

Afterwards, Kate wished both teams luck in their upcoming tournaments.

Home of @EnglandRugby!

Fantastic to meet the players, staff and referees representing the sport at the highest level.

Even put the 👟 on to get a taste of how the teams train.

Wishing both teams the best of luck in their upcoming tournaments! 🏉🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 pic.twitter.com/LzznjqL6j0

— The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge (@KensingtonRoyal) February 2, 2022

The red rose emblem has been used by the RFU since 1871.

Upcoming England Rugby Union matches scheduled for the Six Nations are shown below. These are not confirmed for the Duchess as of writing, however I think it likely we'll see plenty of royal attendance during the championship. The England v Wales match on Sat, 26 February would seem a certainty.

- Sat, 5 Feb, 16: 45 England v Scotland

- Sun 13, Feb, 15:00 England v Italy

- Sat, 26 Feb, 16:45 England v Wales

- Sat, 12 March, 16:45 England v Ireland

- Sat, 19 March, 20:00 England v France

In the video shared this morning, Regal Repli-Kate notes the Duchess wore Sweaty Betty's £60 Athlete Hooded Long Sleeve Top in Oxford Blue. It's available in a selection of colours and sizes on the website.

Katie suggests the Duchess also wore Nike Swift 27 Running pants.

The Duchess sported England Rugby kit at Twickenham.

And accessorised with her Astley Clarke round lapis Stilla pendant.

Now, with the year of the Queen's Platinum Jubilee upon us, I had wondered when we would hear about an upcoming Commonwealth tour. The Mail and other outlets report plans for a Caribbean tour are underway, with Cambridge staffers spotted undertaking reconnaissance work on the idyllic island of Ambergris Caye. Early reports suggest the tour could potentially go ahead in March/April, which would make sense logistically as the children have a lengthy school break for Easter. Keep an eye on this one; we should hear details in the coming weeks...