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Kate Middleton Rocks a Sporty High Ponytail for a Fun Morning of Rugby and Childhood Chats

The Princess of Wales tried out her sporty moves and promoted her Shaping Us campaign as she spoke to men about their childhood

<p>Tim Rooke/Shutterstock</p> Kate Middleton, the Princess of Wales

Tim Rooke/Shutterstock

Kate Middleton, the Princess of Wales

Kate Middleton is playing with the guys!

The Princess of Wales, 41, took part in some rugby training on Wednesday morning before talking to the players about their childhoods as she highlights her ongoing campaign highlighting the importance of the early years in a person's life. The outing combined her leadership of the Shaping Us initiative to talk about how best to nurture children with her support for the game of rugby, of which she is patron of the Rugby Football Union.

While Princess Kate has spent a lot of time with mothers and carers since launching her campaign in January, the visit to Maidenhead Rugby Club was all about hearing from men. After taking part in the rugby drills on the field while sporting a high ponytail and blue t-shirt featuring a red rose, England rugby's logo, she went inside to talk about the impact that local sports clubs have for those who are helping to raise children.

Kate took the field for a game of netball rugby on the same team as England men’s team member Courtney Lawes. At one point as she tried to hoist a pass over an opponent, Princess Kate dropped the ball and hit her hand into her opponent. She patted him on the back soon afterward.

"I like to say she ran into me," says Steven Bough, chairman of Maidenhead Rugby Club.

Although Kate's team lost, Bough praised her rugby skills: "She’s obviously been practicing. Her ball sills and passing skills are very good. She was there, blending in playing as one of the team. To be honest, I didn’t realize she was there half the time.”

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Adds Nigel Gillingham, President of the Rugby Football Union, "She regularly plays rugby in the back garden with the children — she plays all sports with them. Apparently Charlotte is very much in her mold — very competitive as well."

Bough says Princess Kate was "here to join in."

"She was another player you had to mark," he continues. "It makes a massive difference that she comes and joins in. It’s not just the participating, it is the way she comes across. Immediately, when she came out of the car, it’s like saying hello to a friend. The key thing is she is honestly interested and is not going through the motions, and she is passionate. She fits in like she’s just another person."

The Princess of Wales took over as patron of the Rugby Football League and the Rugby Football Union in early 2022. The role, which previously belonged to Prince Harry, marked the first of the Duke of Sussex's former patronages to be redistributed to another member of the royal family after Harry and Meghan Markle stepped back from their roles as senior working royals.

Princess Kate embraced the position and joined a training session for some of the rugby players soon after her new role was announced. Taking the field at Twickenham Stadium, Kate participated in a line-out play, where a player is hoisted in the air by their teammates to receive a ball after it goes out of the field of play.

The position also means a friendly sports rivalry with her husband, Prince William, who supports the Welsh Rugby Union as their patron.

<p>Tim Rooke/Shutterstock</p> Kate Middleton, the Princess of Wales

Tim Rooke/Shutterstock

Kate Middleton, the Princess of Wales

Kate was joined by Shaping Us champion Ugo Monye, a former England rugby professional and father of two, and other professional rugby players and representatives from Maidenhead RFC. Also there was Si Trower, the founder of the mental health charity Brave Mind, which works with rugby clubs, universities and schools to provide a platform to help rugby clubs an schools to improve their approach to supporting mental health in their community.

Her visit came as her Early Years Foundation found that men are less likely than women to realize the importance of the first years of a child’s life.

<p>Zak Hussein / SplashNews.com</p> Kate Middleton, the Princess of Wales

Zak Hussein / SplashNews.com

Kate Middleton, the Princess of Wales

In the first perceptions survey since she launched Shaping Us, researchers found there is still much more effort needed to raise awareness. While last year only 17% of the U.K. population identified the period between pregnancy and the age of five as the most important period for shaping a child’s future, this year’s survey found that this figure has risen to 19%.

But men are still significantly less knowledgeable than women of the extraordinary impact of the first five years of a child’s life. While 24% of women recognized the time as the most important period (up 4% from 2022), only 14% of men did so, the survey on behalf of Kate’s Royal Foundation Centre for Early Childhood found.

<p>London News Pictures/Shutterstock</p> Kate Middleton, the Princess of Wales

London News Pictures/Shutterstock

Kate Middleton, the Princess of Wales

RELATED: Kate Middleton Visits Windsor Family Hub for Early Childhood Mission — as Prince Harry Appears in Court

Christian Guy, Director of the Centre for Early Childhood, said, It is encouraging to see awareness levels of the critical importance of the first five years of our lives moving in the right direction — though there remains much more work to be done.”

“It is during our early childhood that our brains develop faster than at any other life stage and our experiences, relationships and surroundings at that very young age lay the foundations that shape the rest of our lives," he added. "This has got to become an issue that they whole of society embraces — that is talked about in board rooms and sports clubs across the country and not just assumed to be the domain of parent and baby groups or nursery settings. Everyone has a part to play in raising the next generation.”

And although the day was about speaking with men, Zoe Cox, a coach at the club, says Kate is a role model to girls.

"Kate being female and coming in and playing sport and being so involved with the Rugby Football Union that she is. It’s massive for young girls to see that," says Cox. "It's something that’s been missing until Kate got into that position. When I was in youth rugby that’s someone you needed to look up to. The girls that are coming through now are so lucky to have that."

Shaping Us is part of Princess Kate’s work to raise awareness of the critical importance of early childhood. Today was the second outing in as many days around the subject. On Tuesday, she enjoyed chats with moms and playtime with toddlers at a gathering at Windsor Family Hub.

Kate hopes her campaign will transform the issue of early childhood from one of scientific interest to a more “strategically important topic,” her office at Kensington Palace says. She has taken the initiative out and about to Leeds and other cities and towns as she spreads the message.

The campaign also highlights that, by focusing our collective time, energy, and resources to build a supportive, nurturing world around all children and those caring for them, we can make a huge difference to the physical and mental health and happiness of generations to come.

<p>Tim Rooke/Shutterstock</p> Kate Middleton, the Princess of Wales

Tim Rooke/Shutterstock

Kate Middleton, the Princess of Wales

RELATED: Kate Middleton Brings a Special Accessory to Early Years Meeting — Which She Debuted at Harvard!

Princess Kate was also given a memento of a special rugby player when she visited Maidenhead Rugby Club — she was handed a pair of earrings that had been designed in memory of Isobelle Phipps who died in April at age 17.

Called "Issy Star," the earrings are being sold with £5 going to the mental health charity Brave Minds.

<p>Tim Rooke/Shutterstock </p> Kate Middleton, the Princess of Wales

Tim Rooke/Shutterstock

Kate Middleton, the Princess of Wales

Isobelle's mom, Sarah Renton, proudly spoke to Kate about her daughter and how the club and the "rugby family" had been a huge support for her. And she praised the princess's own work on mental health. Sarah says of Kate, "She was just really empathetic — she gave me a hug."

Issy played for Maidenhead since she was 4 but moved to the club at nearby Reading to join the girls' teams there. She played at county level and rose to play for England at touch rugby for the under 18s. 

<p>Chris Jackson/Getty Images</p> Kate Middleton, the Princess of Wales

Chris Jackson/Getty Images

Kate Middleton, the Princess of Wales

Following the outing, Kate and Prince William's joint social media accounts shared photos of the "fun morning at Maidenhead Rugby Club."

They wrote, "During our early years, we begin to learn how to manage our emotions, build relationships, believe in ourselves, and develop resilience - lots of the traits you’d want in a great rugby player! Thanks for having us @maidsrfc!"

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Kate's outing came as her brother-in-law Prince Harry continued giving evidence on the witness stand in London's High Court for his case against the owners of the Daily Mirror, Sunday Mirror and The People newspapers. He alleges that journalists used illegal news gathering methods when reporting and writing stories about him.

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