The Prince and Princess of Wales stepped out in Cardiff on Saturday to watch the hotly anticipated Six Nations match between England and Wales.
The royal couple enjoyed a dose of friendly rivalry, with Prince William supporting the Welsh side in his role as Patron of the Welsh Rugby Union, while Princess Kate cheered on the England team in her role as Patron of the Rugby Football Union.
© Kieran McManus/ShutterstockAhead of the match, William and Kate met injured players supported by the Welsh Rugby Charitable Trust. The meeting took place inside the Sir Tasker Watkins Suite – a space dedicated for use by the players and their families before matches.
© Alamy Stock PhotoThey also spoke to former players about their careers, and offered a glimpse inside their weekend routine with their two sons Prince George and Prince Louis.
© Getty Images"At weekends we go from one competition to the next," William explained, before Kate added: "Louis is six and he's just started touch rugby and George is 11 and he plays a bit more. They do really enjoy it."
She added: "They've been exposed to lots of different sports."
This isn't the first time Princess Kate has spoken about her children's love of the sport. Back in 2022, the mother-of-three said: "They're all enjoying it [rugby], Louis is kamikaze, we're worrying about when he gets older, he'll be in the middle of everything."
For Princess Kate, it's been a staple in her life since her childhood. In an interview with Vanity Fair, her sister Pippa revealed: "Rugby was a big thing for our family, and the focal point was international matches, which were often played on Saturday afternoons and were as much social as sporting occasions.
© Getty Images"We'd plan our weekends around the big matches, a quick bite to eat at halftime or lunch on our laps, typically a chicken pot pie or something equally cosy and English. 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."
William and Kate's three children have shown an interest in an array of sports including tennis, football and gymnastics. Prince George regularly attends football matches alongside his father William, while Princess Charlotte appeared in a good luck message to the Lionesses ahead of their Euros final in 2022 and expressed her interest in gymnastics during the Commonwealth Games also held in 2022.
© Getty ImagesBack in October last year, William also spoke about George's passion for scuba diving. While chatting with Olympians Adam Peaty and Tom Dean, the father-of-three shared: "George loves scuba diving... We took him under thinking he would freak out. He absolutely loves it. It's just introducing him to the world of water."
