On Wednesday, Kensington Palace announced that Kate, the Duchess of Cambridge, has been named as the patron of the Rugby Football Union and the Rugby Football League. This is the first time that a member of the royal family has taken over Prince Harry’s former patronage.
The new patronages, which were given to Kate by Queen Elizabeth II, are linked to her lifelong passion for the sport. Aside from being a passionate athlete, Kate also played field hockey and tennis at St Andrew’s School. In Northern Ireland in September, she and Prince William visited a rugby club.
Meeting the Team
On Wednesday, Kate will meet with England’s rugby players and coaches during a training session at the Twickenham Stadium. The RFL is the governing body for the sport in the UK. It oversees various forms of grassroots rugby, such as women’s and wheelchair rugby.
The RFL promotes and runs the game in England. It also runs the country’s elite performance teams and the men’s and women’s junior national teams. Ralph Rimmer, the RFL’s chief executive, noted that the team was very pleased to have Kate as a patron. He also noted that the organization is looking forward to welcoming her to England and the rest of the world during the World Cup.
Rimmer added that the organization looks forward to working with Kate to promote the game’s social impact. Bill Sweeney, the RFL’s chief executive, said that it was an honor to have Kate as a patron of the organization. He stated that the organization aims to make rugby a flourishing sport in the UK.
As the season of rugby clubs has started, the RFL’s officials and volunteers are celebrating the success of the game. They noted Kate’s support will be greatly valued by the grassroots players.
In 2016, Prince Harry stepped down as the RFL’s Royal Patron. He remained as the organization’s Vice Patron. He was also known to support the game. The RFU praised Prince Harry for his support and for promoting the game. They also stated they would like to see him and Kate back at the stadium in the future.
Kate Just Turned 40
To mark Kate’s 40th birthday, the royal family’s Instagram account released a series of throwback photos featuring the Duchess of Cambridge. The first photo featured Kate as she was seated next to Queen Elizabeth during an engagement in 2012. The following year, she and her family were photographed together at an event held by the queen. All of this took place just weeks before replacing Harry in the league.