UK

Kate to take part in drills at rugby club as part of early childhood campaign

The Princess of Wales (Eddie Mulholland/Daily Telegraph/PA)
The Princess of Wales (Eddie Mulholland/Daily Telegraph/PA) The Princess of Wales (Eddie Mulholland/Daily Telegraph/PA)

The Princess of Wales is set to participate in rugby drills on Wednesday to raise awareness around the lifelong impact of early childhood and the importance of community settings in early years.

Kate, patron of the Rugby Football Union, will meet local and national men’s rugby players at Maidenhead Rugby Club to discuss the Shaping Us campaign, hear more about their childhood experiences, and speak about the role of community settings in supporting children and parents.

The princess will participate in rugby drills before heading into the clubhouse where she will hear about childhood experiences, fatherhood and the impact that settings such as sports clubs can have on creating a network of support when raising children.

The Shaping Us campaign was launched by the princess and the Royal Foundation Centre for Early Childhood in January 2023 and aims to highlight the importance of supporting young children and those caring for them.

Ugo Monye
Ugo Monye Ugo Monye (Ian West/PA)

Others attending the event will include Shaping Us champion, former England rugby player and father-of-two Ugo Monye, representatives from Maidenhead RFC and Si Trower, the founder of mental health charity Brave Mind.

The princess has been a long-term advocate for raising awareness around the importance of early childhood before starting the campaign earlier this year.

Last month Kate was joined by rapper Professor Green, a supporter of the princess’s early years Shaping Us campaign, when she sat down with a group of young people who have been through the care system.