William and Kate to attend England vs Wales Six Nations match at Twickenham

William, who is patron of the Welsh Rugby Union, and Kate, patron of the Rugby Football Union, will be in direct competition.

The couple will be in direct competition during the match (Danny Lawson/PA) (PA Wire)

The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge will be in direct competition this weekend as they attend England’s Six Nations match against Wales.

Saturday’s match at Twickenham Stadium will be the first Kate has attended since becoming patron of the Rugby Football Union (RFU).

William, who has been patron of the Welsh Rugby Union (WRU) since 2016, and Kate, are known for their rivalry during sporting engagements, with the fixture putting them in direct competition.

They will meet Jeff Blackett, president of the RFU, and Gerald Davies, president of the WRU, prior to kick-off and speak with volunteers and council members of the RFU.

Kate is patron of the Rugby Football Union (Jeremy Selwyn/Evening Standard) (PA Wire)

The duchess, known for her love of sport and competitive nature, said earlier this month she was “very proud” to become the RFU’s figurehead, a role that used to belong to the Duke of Sussex.

Kate, 40, grew up watching England rugby games with the Middletons, and the family would plan their weekends around international matches.

At an England training session earlier this month, she laughed when player Ellis Genge asked her about the new rivalry with William, and admitted it would “make things interesting”.

Kate said: “Ha, yes, what does that mean? We’re terribly competitive.

“The fact we’re now supporting two different teams is going to make things interesting.”

Kate also told of her children’s enthusiasm for rugby, saying George plays the sport at school and three-year-old Louis likes to be in the “middle of everything”.

The role used to be belong to Harry (Dominic Lipinski/PA) (PA Wire)

She is the first member of the royal family to officially receive one of the Sussexes’ past royal patronages, which they were stripped of post-Megxit.

Harry is a passionate rugby fan who was left disappointed when he lost the prestigious appointments.