Prince Harry makes rare appearance at rugby game after return to UK
Prince Harry makes rare appearance at rugby game after return to UK
Anthony Robledo, USA TODAYSat, October 10, 2026 at 9:04 PM UTC
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Settled back home in the United Kingdom, Prince Harry was spotted enjoying a game of rugby.
The Duke of Sussex, 42, was photographed at Mattioli Woods Welford Road Stadium in Leicester, England, attending the Gallagher Prem match Oct. 9 between Leicester and Gloucester.
Beside him was his cousin, George McCorquodale, the son of Princess Diana's sister, Lady Sarah McCorquodale, photos show.
Harry briefly appeared on the big screen and some fans were heard booing, according to People. He reportedly enjoyed a pint of beer and focused on the action on the field throughout the game, which ended in a 38-31 Leicester triumph.
Before he and Duchess Meghan left their California home after six years, Harry visited the U.K. in July, where he was seen playing wheelchair rugby at the National Exhibition Center in Birmingham, England.
Rugby has long been a passion for the British royal, who played rugby union while studying at Eton College.
At a 2018 training session for an England Six Nations match against Scotland, Harry discussed his dedication to the sport, telling players, "I’m like a Labrador with a tennis ball," People reported.
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"Everybody of any size, any background, can get together, beat each other up on the pitch — within the rules of the game of course — and get together afterwards," he said at the time.
Prince Harry condemns 'extraordinarily reckless' photographers
Harry's recent criticism comes two months after he and Meghan left the United States and returned to the U.K. with their children, Prince Archie, 7, and Princess Lilibet, 5.
The move hasn't been without complications, as the pair revealed their kids were forced to leave their first school after just two weeks due to security concerns.
They condemned the behavior of photographers spotted lurking outside their children's school, and British police are investigating two men spotted carrying backpacks while walking the school perimeter and staring into the grounds.
"The decision by photographers to conduct themselves in this way around a school is extraordinarily reckless," a spokesman for the Duke and Duchess of Sussex told USA TODAY. "There is a world of difference between legitimate media activity and photographers walking the perimeter of a school, stopping to look into the grounds and monitoring children as they go about their day."
The Sussexes have long raised privacy concerns in the U.K. after they lost their taxpayer-funded security shortly following their 2020 decision to step away from their roles as senior royals.
Contributing: Jennifer Hassan, USA TODAY
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Prince Harry makes rare appearance at rugby game after return to UK
Source: “AOL Entertainment”
