Kate Middleton and Prince William Hit the Rugby Pitch for Joint Outing One Week After Walking the Red Carpet
Kate Middleton and Prince William Hit the Rugby Pitch for Joint Outing One Week After Walking the Red Carpet
Stephanie PetitTue, September 29, 2026 at 4:27 PM UTC
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Kate Middleton and Prince William visit Headingley Rugby Stadium in Leeds on Sept. 29, 2026Credit: David Cliff / Kensington Palace -
Kate Middleton and Prince William visited the Leeds Rhinos rugby team together
During their visit, they learned more about how the Leeds Rhinos Foundation is improving the community through the sport
The Prince and Princess of Wales’ latest joint outing comes one week after they hit the red carpet for a glamorous movie premiere
Kate Middleton and Prince William are teaming up on the pitch.
The Prince and Princess of Wales, both 44, stepped out at Headingley Rugby Stadium on Tuesday, Sept. 28. There, they learned how the Rhinos and the Leeds Rhinos Foundation are using the power of sport to improve health, education, inclusion and well-being in the community.
Their visit included a meeting with Jamie Jones Buchanan, the CEO of the Leeds Rhinos and a lifelong friend of Rob Burrow, a professional rugby player for the team who died in 2024 after living with motor neurone disease (MND) for around five years. Prince William and Princess Kate heard about Burrow’s continued impact on the Rhinos during their visit.
Kate Middleton and Prince William visit Headingley Rugby Stadium in Leeds on Sept. 29, 2026Credit: David Cliff / Kensington Palace
In 2019, two years after retiring from the Leeds Rhinos, Burrow was diagnosed with MND and made it his mission to campaign for funding for treatment of the disease. Prince William previously met with Burrow at Headingley Stadium in 2024, when the royal surprised the athlete with his Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE), the highest-ranking award in the Order of the British Empire, excluding knighthoods and damehoods. The royal heir also wrote the foreword for a book written by Burrow’s wife, Lindsey.
William and Kate’s outing also included meeting the team’s former captain Danny McGuire, who returned to the club with the Foundation to lead the Rugby League Development Plan. The program grows and strengthens Rugby League by increasing participation, improving player retention, expanding opportunities for women and girls, developing coaches and creating inclusive environments. The royal couple met a group of young people currently enrolled in the program to see its impact.
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Kate Middleton visits Headingley Rugby Stadium in Leeds on Sept. 29, 2026Credit: David Cliff / Kensington Palace
Before leaving, Princess Kate, in her role as patron of the Rugby Football League, wished good luck to the players heading to the Rugby League World Cup next month.
Kate is a patron of the Rugby Football Union in England, and William serves as the patron of the Welsh Rugby Union, creating a lighthearted sports rivalry between the couple when the nations are competing against each other.
The Prince and Princess of Wales have kept a busy schedule since returning to royal duties after their summer break. Their September has included accompanying Prince George to his first day of boarding school at Eton College, an away day in Scotland and a major movie premiere.
Just one week ahead of their rugby outing, the couple had a very different kind of event: hitting the red carpet for the world premiere of Tom Cruise’s latest film, Digger.
The actor, 64, appeared on The Graham Norton Show days after the premiere, and he was asked about the Prince and Princess of Wales. “They are amazing — very charismatic. I had such a good time,” Cruise said of the royal couple.
on People
Source: “AOL Entertainment”
