Despite the rain, Princess Kate (40) insisted on attending a rugby match on Saturday. England and Papua New Guinea met in the Rugby League World Cup quarter-finals.

First match as patron

Wearing a red Alexander McQueen coat and a large black umbrella, Kate braved the weather on her first visit to a live match as a sponsor of the Rugby Football League. Earlier in the year she took on the rugby sponsorship of Prince Harry (38) and also took part in training at Twickenham Stadium.

It was an honor to welcome Princess Kate to the DW Stadium in Wigan, said on the official World Cup Twitter account. Before kick-off, Kate met with players from both teams, among other things. Along with her, more than 23,100 people followed the game in the stadium – a new record for a quarter-final of the Rugby League World Cup.

Of course, Princess Kate in particular should have cheered up the English, as pre-game footage indicates. Some footage of her shows her crossing her fingers in front of England player Sam Tomkins, a gesture often used in Britain to wish good luck. Although Kate crossed her fingers, the team didn’t have to as they were able to claim a comfortable victory. The team will now face either Samoa or Tonga in the semi-finals.

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