Marie Claire
  • Celebrity
  • Fashion
  • Beauty
  • Culture
  • Power
  • Nice Talk
  • Style at Large
  • More
    • Politics
    • Career & Money
    • Health & Fitness
    • Power Play
    • Travel
    • Promo Codes
    • Food & Cocktails
    • About Us
    • Subscribe
    • Sex & Love
  • Newsletter SIGN UP TO OUR NEWSLETTER
  • Marie Claire
    Marie Claire Newsletter

    The ultimate daily digest for women of power, purpose, and style.


    By submitting your information you agree to the Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy and are aged 16 or over.

    You are now subscribed

    Your newsletter sign-up was successful


    Want to add more newsletters?

    Marie Claire Daily

    Delivered daily

    Marie Claire Daily

    Get exclusive access to fashion and beauty trends, hot-off-the-press celebrity news, and more.

    Marie Claire Self Checkout

    Sent weekly on Saturday

    Marie Claire Self Checkout

    Exclusive access to expert shopping and styling advice from Nikki Ogunnaike, Marie Claire's editor-in-chief.

    Maire Claire Face Forward

    Once a week

    Maire Claire Face Forward

    Insider tips and recommendations for skin, hair, makeup, nails and more from Hannah Baxter, Marie Claire's beauty director.

    Livingetc

    Once a week

    Livingetc

    Your shortcut to the now and the next in contemporary home decoration, from designing a fashion-forward kitchen to decoding color schemes, and the latest interiors trends.

    Homes & Gardens

    Delivered Daily

    Homes & Gardens

    The ultimate interior design resource from the world's leading experts - discover inspiring decorating ideas, color scheming know-how, garden inspiration and shopping expertise.


    An account already exists for this email address, please log in.
    Trending
    • Winter Shoe Trends
    • Slick-Backed Buns
    • Kathy Hochul and Adrienne Adams
    • Holiday Candles
    • Statement Red Socks
    1. Celebrity

    Kate Middleton Shows Off Her Athletic Skills Again as She Joins the England Rugby Team for Training

    She even joined a scrum.

    Iris Goldsztajn's avatar
    By Iris Goldsztajn
    Published 2 February 2022 In News

    When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Here’s how it works.

    Britain's Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge runs with the ball as she takes part in the England's rugby teams training sessions at the Twickenham Stadium, in London
    (Image credit: Getty/JUSTIN TALLIS)
    • Facebook
    • X
    • Pinterest
    Share this article
    Join the conversation
    Follow us
    Add us as a preferred source on Google
    Subscribe to our newsletter

    In her element. The Duchess of Cambridge just became a patron of the Rugby Football League and Rugby Football Union, and she got to show off her mad athletic skills on the pitch with the England rugby team.

    Joining the players for a training session at Twickenham Stadium, Kate Middleton threw the ball around and even took part in a scrum. And judging by her delighted face throughout, the duchess had the absolute time of her life.

    The Duchess of Cambridge Joins England Rugby Training Session

    (Image credit: Getty/Kate Green/Stringer)

    The Duchess of Cambridge Joins England Rugby Training Session

    (Image credit: Getty/WPA Pool/Pool)

    Alongside a celebratory video posted to the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge's Instagram, Middleton wrote, "I am so thrilled to become Patron of the Rugby Football League and Rugby Football Union – two fantastic organisations who are committed to harnessing the power that sport can have in bringing communities together and helping individuals flourish. I look forward to working with them across all levels of the games, and to cheering England on in what promises to be an exciting year for both sports! C"

    Latest Videos FromMarie Claire
    Watch full video here:

    A post shared by Duke and Duchess of Cambridge (@dukeandduchessofcambridge)

    Rugby is far from the only sport the duchess has a talent for. The famously sporty royal's propensity for athletic activities started early on for her. "I do think also that her interest in sport, you know, she’s always been sporty, that too has given her a great deal of confidence," royal expert Richard Fitzwilliams recently told Marie Claire. 

    "If one looks at the way she and William balance their activities, there’s very often a sport of some sort, whether it’s rowing or whether it’s some sort of ball game or whatever it is, and then also her links with Wimbledon."

    You may like
    • Princess Kate gasping with a shinty player standing behind her Princess Kate Thought She Might "Take Someone's Teeth Out" During New Challenge
    • Princess Kate and Princess Charlotte sitting next to each other at the Commonwealth Games Princess Charlotte Has Secretly Been Following in Mom Kate's Footsteps With One Hobby
    • Princess Kate laughing with a woman at a table Princess Kate Shows She's One of the Girls at Senior Lunch Club

    In school, the future duchess played field hockey. And more recently, she had the opportunity to show off her tennis prowess by playing with champion Emma Raducanu. That said, she apparently doesn't have a natural ability in soccer—at least not according to her very honest eldest son. Ouch.

    Marie Claire Newsletter

    The ultimate daily digest for women of power, purpose, and style.

    By submitting your information you agree to the Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy and are aged 16 or over.
    Iris Goldsztajn
    Iris Goldsztajn
    Social Links Navigation
    Morning Editor

    Iris Goldsztajn is a London-based journalist, editor and author. She is the morning editor at Marie Claire, and her work has appeared in the likes of British Vogue, InStyle, Cosmopolitan, Refinery29 and SELF. Iris writes about everything from celebrity news and relationship advice to the pitfalls of diet culture and the joys of exercise. She has many opinions on Harry Styles, and can typically be found eating her body weight in cheap chocolate.

    Read more
    Harriet Sperling wearing a white hat and dress
    Royals Harriet Sperling Says She Can Go to One "Open-Hearted" Royal for Advice
    By Kristin Contino
    Princess Kate wearing a tiara sitting at a banquet table
    Royals Princess Kate’s Royal Superpower Is Revealed By Body Language Expert
    By Kristin Contino
     
     
    Princess Kate wearing a hard hat and high vis vest
    Royals Princess Kate Trades Her Tiara for a Hard Hat While Visiting Children's Hospice
    By Kristin Contino
    Princess Kate foldling clothes at a charity shop next to a woman
    Royals Princess Kate Is "Just a Girl" in a Sweet Moment with a Fan
    By Kristin Contino
     
     
    Latest in Celebrity
    Amal Clooney wore a white dress and a suede brown coat with thigh-high black boots for winter 2026
    Celebrity Style Be Gone, Ankle Boots—Amal Clooney's Thigh-Highs Reject the Short Shoe Comeback
    Queen Camilla laughing in a white dress
    Royals Queen Camilla Couldn't Stop Laughing During "Royal Rain Gate"
     
     
    collage of Angel Reese's best tunnel looks from the 2026 season of the WNBA
    Celebrity Style Angel Reese's 2026 WNBA Tunnel Wardrobe Scored Style Slam Dunks All Season Long
    Harriet Sperling wearing a white hat and dress
    Royals Harriet Sperling Says She Can Go to One "Open-Hearted" Royal for Advice
     
     
    Latest in News
    Amal Clooney wore a white dress and a suede brown coat with thigh-high black boots for winter 2026
    Celebrity Style Be Gone, Ankle Boots—Amal Clooney's Thigh-Highs Reject the Short Shoe Comeback
    Queen Camilla laughing in a white dress
    Royals Queen Camilla Couldn't Stop Laughing During "Royal Rain Gate"
     
     
    collage of Angel Reese's best tunnel looks from the 2026 season of the WNBA
    Celebrity Style Angel Reese's 2026 WNBA Tunnel Wardrobe Scored Style Slam Dunks All Season Long
    Harriet Sperling wearing a white hat and dress
    Royals Harriet Sperling Says She Can Go to One "Open-Hearted" Royal for Advice
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
    Marie Claire
    RSS
    • About us
    • Contact Future's experts
    • Contact us
    • Advertise Online
    • Newsletter
    • Terms and conditions
    • Privacy policy
    • Cookies policy
    • Careers
    Add as a preferred source on Google Add as a preferred source on Google

    Marie Claire is part of Future US Inc, an international media group and leading digital publisher. Visit our corporate site.

    © Future US, Inc. Full 7th Floor, 130 West 42nd Street, New York, NY 10036.