Prince William prepares to cheer on Wales in opposition to Italy in Cardiff as hosts hope to keep away from the Six Nations rugby wood spoon – a destiny Kate’s England may undergo as a substitute
Prince William is travelling to Cardiff to support Wales against Italy as the home side fights to avoid the Six Nations wooden spoon while Kate’s England team faces the same threat.
Wales, who look set to finish with the annual rugby contest’s wooden spoon after four defeats from their opening four games, face Italy – who beat England for the first time in their history last weekend – at the Principality Stadium in Cardiff on Saturday.
William is patron of the Welsh Rugby Union (WRU) and has regularly attended both men’s and women’s fixtures.
The prince attended the Women’s Rugby World Cup contest between Wales and Fiji at Sandy Park in Exeter last year, with pictures shared on the Prince and Princess of Wales‘s Instagram showing William meeting players, shaking hands and hugging one.
The online post was captioned: ‘Commiserations to @welshrugbyunion. You fought hard and made the nation proud.’
Last year, the Prince and Princess of Wales cheered on opposing sides at the Six Nations game between Wales and England.
While the prince is patron of the WRU, the princess holds a similar position with the Rugby Football Union (RFU).
The famously competitive couple have previously joked about supporting different teams during the tournament, with William supporting Wales and Kate rooting for England.
William is patron of the Welsh Rugby Union while Kate is patron of the Rugby Football Union representing English clubs
In 2023, William remarked it would be a ‘tense journey home’ with his wife after a Six Nations game between the countries in Cardiff.
The 2026 Six Nations has been a bruising campaign for both England and Wales, with both nations facing historic lows.
While England’s struggles follow a sudden collapse from a 12-match winning streak, Wales remains mired in a multi-year drought that has reached record-breaking proportions.
England slumped to their first-ever loss against Italy in the Championship’s 26-year history, a 23–18 defeat at the Stadio Olimpico that has left Steve Borthwick’s side facing the prospect of a wooden spoon.
Wales has now extended its Six Nations losing streak to 15 consecutive matches, having failed to win a game in the tournament since 2023.
This year, the Princess of Wales celebrated as England’s rugby team emerged victorious in a 68-14 trouncing of Wales at the Principality Stadium in Cardiff.
Kate and Prince William were both in attendance at the highly anticipated rugby game – each backing the opposing sides.
The princess stood in the stands at the Allianz Stadium in Twickenham as she watched England lose 42-21 defeat to Ireland
Earlier this week, Borough Market was gripped by ‘Walesmania’ as fans clamoured for selfies while trying to shake hands with the Princess of Wales
The royal couple made an unannounced pitstop at the market before making their way to Bermondsey for a pub crawl along the beer mile.
The future Queen, 44, was poised as she spoke about giving up alcohol in the wake of her cancer diagnosis.
The pair engaged in playful banter as they tried their hand at brewing beer and even had a pint-pulling competition after William praised Kate’s beekeeping skills.
