TWO star international women players had the honour of keeping the Princess of Wales company during the second half of the men's Rugby League World Cup quarter-final between England and Papua New Guinea at the DW Stadium in Wigan today.
Saints' Jodie Cunningham and Emily Rudge sat either side of Her Royal Highness as Shaun Wane's men completed their destruction of the PNG Kumuls to reach next Saturday's semi-final at Arsenal's Emirate's Stadium against Tonga or Samoa.
For all three there was plenty of focus and concentration on the events on the field, but even more talking and laughter between the England captain Rudge, World Cup ambassador Cunningham and the Princess of Wales, who was on her first appointment as Royal patron of the Rugby Football League.
The Princess also met up with the entire England Women team and coaching staff following their 54-4 win against Canada in the first game of the double-header occasion at the DW Stadium, before being introduced to the England and PNG men's teams - and the children who were acting as mascots - on the field prior to kick-off.
The RFL Patron, the Princess of Wales greets the players of both England and Papua New Guinea ahead of the quarter final at the DW Stadium. #RLWC2021 | @KensingtonRoyal | @TheRFL | #ENGPNG pic.twitter.com/viMcfpgj3H
— Rugby League World Cup 2021 (@RLWC2021) November 5, 2022
“We met her as a team which was absolutely fantastic, and it was also a huge honour for myself,” said England Women head coach Craig Richards.
“Where I’m from you don’t think you’ll ever get to meet a Royal and particularly with the way it was done, it was beautiful.
“She talked about the women and what they go through, and the physicality of the game. She had obviously done her homework on rugby league and she talked a lot about the girls and how they can be so inspiring and role models.”
England's men went on to record a 46-6 success against the Kumuls to reach the semi-finals for the sixth successive tournament format of the Rugby League World Cup.
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