Kate’s First Solo Engagement of 2026 Puts Her in Direct Competition With William ― and She’s Winning
Princess Kate is set to host the first solo engagement on January 15, which will revive an old rivalry with her husband, Prince William.
After her health struggles, Princess Kate is starting 2026 on a strong note. The Princess, who has been serving as the patron of the Rugby Football Union since 2022, will host the England Women’s Rugby team for a reception at Windsor Castle to celebrate their World Cup win in September 2025. Their victory has given Kate early bragging rights over her husband, Prince William, the patron of the Welsh Rugby Union, whose team is currently sitting at 12th in the global rankings.
The reception will take place on January 15, marking Kate’s first independent engagement of the year. On arrival at the royal residence, the team and the staff will be given a tour of the property before meeting the Princess. They will then show her the Rugby World Trophy, followed by an official group photo.
As for Kate’s role as the England rugby patron, it puts her on the opposite side of the pitch from her husband, whose support for the Wales rugby team is well known. Their sporting rivalry was also on full display during last year’s championship when the couple attended different matches on the same day. Kate was seen cheering for England in their game against Australia, while William attended the match between Wales and Fiji.
For now, however, the results remain firmly in Kate’s favor, whose team won the 2025 championship and remains the top-ranked women’s rugby team in the world. In contrast, Wales failed to advance past the pool stage and currently holds the 12th spot, adding another fun layer to their long-standing competitive streak.
Princess Kate with the English women's rugby team members. (Image Source: Instagram | @princeandprincessofwales)The Princess of Wales’ support for rugby has also once earned her praise from Mike Tindall, a former player himself. For the unversed, Tindall has served as the captain of the England rugby team and played a significant role in their 2003 Rugby World Cup win. After Kate kicked off her rugby patron and attended a training session at Twickenham Stadium in 2022, Tindall gave her a shoutout on The Good, The Bad & The Rugby, the podcast that he hosts alongside former player James Haskell and sports presenter Alex Payne.
Payne opined, “She looks a more natural rugby player than both of you put together,” teasing Tindall and Haskell. Tindall agreed to the same, admitting, “She was actually pretty good, and she was really good at kicking,' and I was like [sigh]. But she has this competitive nature.” He also suggested that this friendly rivalry has extended to the royal family. “The best thing is when it rolls to England and Wales, we get the battle of Cambridge,” citing Kate and William’s former titles. This is not the only instance where William and Kate’s competitiveness has come into focus. In fact, William’s close friend and renowned baker Dame Mary Berry previously told Saga, “I’ve done quite a few things with him and, gosh, he’s competitive. So is Catherine.”
This does not come as a huge surprise for many, as the couple has faced off against each other during royal engagements involving spin biking, rolling dough balls, and cocktail mixing, to name a few. Even the Middleton family is known to be quite competitive, with James Middleton revealing in his memoir that William would make excuses just to get out of game nights, such as seeing if his dog, Ella, needed a walk as soon as they started playing cards.
