Kate Middleton wishes luck to England’s national women’s rugby squad

Kate Middleton has had a busy few weeks of royal engagements since stepping into the role of Princess of Wales.

On Friday, the Princess released her first on-camera message on Twitter for the England Rugby team, Red Roses, of whom she is the royal patron.

Kate was seen dressed in a red blazer – adorned with a rose brooch as she wished Red Roses good luck ahead of the competition in New Zealand, which kicks off on Saturday.

"Hello everyone, I wanted to take a moment to wish the Red Roses all the very best of luck for the Rugby World Cup in New Zealand," the Princess said smiling.

"I had so much fun with you all at Twickenham earlier this year, and I cannot wait to see how you get on during the tournament."

Kate also noted that "for many of the team, this will be the first World Cup you've played in. Congratulations on being selected for the squad. I know this will be a particularly proud moment in your career so far, and I hope you enjoy every minute." 

"I was also delighted to hear that some of the winning squad from 2014 are back to help bring the cup home again." The Duchess of Cornwall and Cambridge ended her message with, "Good luck for the weeks ahead. I'll be setting my alarm clock early to cheer you on all the way."

Kate replaced Prince Harry as the Royal Patron of the Rugby Football League and England Rugby in February after the Duke of Sussex stepped down as a senior member of the royal family.