Kate Middleton has wowed royal fans with her impressive ball skills after replacing Prince Harry as Patron of England Rugby.
- Kate Middleton has officially replaced Prince Harry as patron of England Rugby, nearly one year after he was stripped of the role by the Queen.
- The Duchess of Cambridge revealed she's 'thrilled' to take on the exciting job, showing off her impressive ball skills in a fun new video.
- In other royal news, Duchess Camilla stuns in scarlet alongside Prince Charles as they ‘embrace’ Chinatown celebration.
Watch out, English rugby—there's a new player in town.
Kate Middleton has revealed she's 'thrilled' to become Patron of the Rugby Football League and the Rugby Football Union, taking to social media on Wednesday to confirm the exciting news with a fun video.
The patronage had formerly been held by Prince Harry, but the Queen stripped it from him last year when it became obvious that he was unable to continue his royal duties in the UK from his new home in California.
The position was left vacant for several months, sparking rumors over which senior royal would replace the Duke of Sussex. It has now been officially redistributed to his trusty sister-in-law, the Duchess of Cambridge, who already holds a whopping 20 patronages.
With the Six Nations Championship just days away, Kate didn't waste any time in building momentum for the iconic games. The athletic mother-of-three showed off her nifty rugby skills in a 34-second video on the Cambridges' Instagram and Twitter pages this morning, proving that she won't be afraid to get fully involved in the traditional English sport.
At the beginning of the clip, the smiling Duchess is seen throwing the ball upwards, before the shot switches to a young girl catching it. With each changing shot, the ball is passed to a new player—some of whom perform cool tricks for the camera.
In one shot, Kate even spins the rugby ball with one finger, much to the amusement of her adoring fans.
As for her fashion, the Duchess opted for a comfortable outfit of black tracksuit bottoms by Nike and a fitted, long-sleeved, blue hoodie. She also swapped her signature heels for a pair of black sneakers and slicked back those classic Kate Middleton curls into a tight ponytail.
Rugby fans were quick to applaud the hardworking royal for stepping up as patron, with many flooding the comment section on Instagram with welcoming messages and sweet compliments.
Kate Middleton has shown off her impressive rugby skills in a new video
"That ball spin was cool! I love her sporty side," one impressed follower wrote.
"Multi-talented Duchess!" another person commented.
While Kate may not be a professional rugby player herself, the sport has always held a special place in her heart. It's understood that she regularly attended matches as a child with her family, who all share her passion for the 19th-century game.
"We'd plan our weekends around the matches," Kate's sister, Pippa, revealed in 2014. "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."
Kate is expected to play a 'front and center' role at the Six Nations, which kicks off on 5 February—one day before the Queen marks her Platinum Jubilee 2022. It's also been reported that she plans to raise awareness of England Rugby's 'Inner Warrior' campaign, an initiative that aims to attract more girls and women to the male-dominated sport.
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