Princess of Wales Surprises Wallaroos in Locker Room After England Win at Women’s Rugby World Cup

Catherine, Princess of Wales, made a surprise visit to the Australian women's rugby team’s locker room after England’s 47-7 group-stage victory over the Wallaroos at the Women’s Rugby World Cup on Saturday, drawing warm applause and an impromptu three cheers from the players.

The Princess of Wales, who attended the match at the American Express Stadium in Brighton and serves as patron of the Rugby Football Union, was shown in footage posted on the Wallaroos’ Instagram account speaking with members of the Australian squad and offering encouragement for the remainder of the tournament.

In the short clip, Catherine asked players how it had been to compete away from home and praised their efforts, saying, “You played really well, you gave us a run for our money at the beginning, it was nerve-racking!” She also told the team, “I am a massive supporter of women's sport,” and offered good wishes for the rest of the tournament. The Wallaroos responded with visible delight, cheering and later giving the princess three cheers before she left the dressing area.

England, the top-ranked side in the world, topped the final group-stage match and remain unbeaten in pool play. The Red Roses opened the tournament with a 69-7 win over the United States and followed with a 92-3 victory against Samoa last weekend. Australia sits second in the pool standings after the loss.

The princess’s visit follows her public support for the Red Roses in recent weeks; she and other members of the royal family have posted messages of encouragement to competing teams. Catherine took over the role of RFU patron in 2022. She has been a frequent presence at sporting events in Britain and is patron of several national sporting bodies.

Players and fans reacted to the locker-room encounter online, with the Wallaroos’ social channels sharing the footage and supporters responding with praise for the brief exchange. Team officials have not released further comment on the visit.

The Women’s Rugby World Cup continues with knock-out and placement matches to follow the conclusion of pool play. England remain among the favourites as the tournament progresses, alongside previous winners New Zealand and challengers such as Canada, while Australia will turn its focus to advancing from the pool stage into the knockout rounds.

Catherine’s appearance at the stadium and subsequent visit to the teams underlined the increasing attention on women's sport as World Cup matches draw large crowds and international media coverage. The tournament, played on home soil for England, has been marked by high-scoring victories for the Red Roses and growing spectator interest across venues.