Prince William to begin patron duties

The Prince – who has attended two recent events at the Millennium Stadium, the FA Cup Final last season between Liverpool and West Ham and the British and Irish Lions’ pre-tour match against Argentina in May 2005 – will assist the work of Her Majesty The Queen, who continues as Patron of the WRU.

Prince William is keen to meet with representatives from all aspects of the Welsh Rugby Union at the Six Nations event. He will meet up with members of the team, some of whom he met while on the Lions tour to New Zealand. He will also meet volunteers and coaches from the community game, elite, young players, injured and former players, referees and supporters of Welsh rugby.

WRU Chairman David Pickering said, “The Prince’s passion for and commitment to the game is well known and became evident to me during the last Lions tour when he took so much time and trouble to make a difference to the tour, not only to the players and management, but to the New Zealand public with visits to schools, hospitals and residential homes.

“The Prince’s humility and humanity also shone through during his visit to the Millennium Stadium for last season’s FA Cup Final when he took the time to seek out a family who had been hit by a sudden bereavement.”

This will be the fourth public role which William has taken on, following his appointment as Patron of the homelessness charity Centrepoint, Patron of the conservation charity The Tusk Trust and President of the Football Association.

Prince William said, “I am honoured to be able to take on this role as Vice Royal Patron of the Welsh Rugby Union. Rugby is such a central part of Welsh life and I hope to be able to contribute in some way to the development of the sport both at the community level and on the international stage. I am looking forward to renewing my friendships with all the Welsh players whom I met on the Lions tour to New Zealand and I wish the team all the very best as they prepare for the Six Nations campaign.”