Duchess of rugby league and union
Kate takes over from the Duke of Sussex as patron of the sports following her appointment by the Queen
IT IS an announcement that signals a definitive shift in the changing face of the Royal family.
The Duchess of Cambridge was yesterday unveiled as the patron of the Rugby Football Union (RFU) and the Rugby Football League (RFL), taking over the roles from the Duke of Sussex.
Kate was given the Royal patronages by the Queen and Kensington Palace said the highprofile sporting appointments “closely align with Her Royal Highness’s long-standing passion for sport and the lifelong benefits it can provide”.
It makes the Duchess the first member of the Royal family to officially receive one of the Sussexes’ past patronages and the confirmation comes ahead of the start of rugby union’s Six Nations tournament this weekend and the start of rugby league’s Super League on Thursday. Kate said she is “so thrilled” to become the patron of both organisations, which she added are committed to “harnessing the power that sport can have in bringing communities together and helping individuals flourish”.
To mark her appointment to the role for the RFU, she headed to Twickenham Stadium yesterday to meet players from the men’s and women’s squads as the men prepare for the Six Nations.
The Duchess, known for her love of sport and competitive nature, took to the pitch for a skills session run by England’s head coach Eddie Jones. After running past players to practise scoring a try, Kate celebrated by holding her hands aloft and said: “If only it was that easy.”
Kate was presented with three England kits for her children, Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis.
It has long been reported that the Duchess would be filling the gap left by Harry when he was stripped of the roles in February last year. The Duke, a passionate rugby fan who celebrated with England when they won the Rugby Union World Cup in 2003, had acted as the RFU’s patron since 2016, and the patron of the RFL since 2017, taking over the roles from his grandmother. After his decision in 2020 to step back from frontline Royal duties with his wife Meghan, he initially retained the positions. But he was later stripped of all his patronages, along with his honorary military appointments, after talks with senior Royals. A source at the time said Harry had “absolutely, no question” wanted to keep the roles he lost.
Both codes welcomed Kate’s appointment yesterday, with Bill Sweeney, the chief executive of the RFU, claiming it was a “great honour”.
The RFL’s chief executive, Ralph Rimmer, said her appointment was particularly timely to promote the sport ahead of the Rugby League World Cup in England this autumn.
Kate is already the Royal patron of the All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club, the Lawn Tennis Association, SportsAid and the 1851 Trust.
The power that sport can have in bringing communities together. The Duchess of Cambridge, the new patron of the RFU and the RFL.