The Duchess of Cambridge delighted royal fans last week when she showcased her sporting skills to mark the announcement of her two new rugby patronages. And now one of her family members has given his verdict on Kate's training session at Twickenham Stadium.
Former England rugby star Mike Tindall, 43, was asked about his cousin-in-law's new roles on his podcast, The Good, The Bad & The Rugby this week, and said the Duchess, 40, looked "effortless" on the pitch.
Co-host Alex Payne told Mike and James Haskell: "Well can I just say something which is 77 caps for your country [James] and 75 caps for your country [Mike], she looks a more natural rugby player than both of you put together."
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WATCH: Mike Tindall gives his very honest verdict on Kate Middleton's rugby skills
Mike replied: "I text Ellis [Genge] and said, 'Mate, please tell me anything she messed up on' so I could sort of… family WhatsApp group, get to her, and he said, 'No she was actually pretty good, and she was really good at kicking,' and I was like [sighs]. But she has this competitive nature."
"She looked unbelievably natural," agreed Alex.
James said: "When she was announced, I thought amazing because we know she obviously likes her rugby. 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."
Mike added of Kate: "Just imagine, anyone who's ever tried it, getting thrown up in the line-out if you've never done it before is not easy because normally, you'll kick the prop in either the nuts or the face as he's lifting you and she just looked effortless.
"The best thing is when it rolls to England and Wales, we get the battle of the Cambridges."
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The Duchess caught the ball as she was lifted in a line-out
Kate was announced as the new patron of the Rugby Football Union and Rugby Football League last week, taking over the roles from brother-in-law Prince Harry.
She joined Eddie Jones's England side for a training session at Twickenham Stadium, dressed in the full kit, as she completed exercises with members of the men's and women's squads.
As Mike hinted, there's a chance we could see Kate and husband, Prince William, get competitive later this month. The Duke is patron of the Welsh Rugby Union and Wales will take on England at Twickenham on Saturday 26 February in the Guinness Six Nations 2022.
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