Princess Anne’s hilarious encounter with Scotland rugby captain

Princess Anne has been praised by royal fans for her ‘fun’ and ‘wonderful’ nature during a hilarious second encounter with Scotland’s rugby captain.

The Princess Royal, who is patron of the Scottish Rugby Union (SRU), handed over the Auld Alliance Trophy to Sione Tuipulotu following the country’s momentous Six Nations win against France on March 7.

But when the esteemed sportsman, 29, approached Anne, the pair both mirrored each other by opening their arms in jest – a lighthearted reference to their awkward near-hug moment last month.

This time, Anne, 75, and Mr Tuipulotu briefly erupted into laughter before the princess followed protocol by shaking hands with the Scottish rugby player and exchanging a few warm words with him.

It came after Anne and the sportsman’s rather awkward interaction on February 14 when Mr Tuipulotu made a failed attempt to embrace the princess following the nation’s victory against England.

When Anne went to present the trophy to the sportsman, he appeared to try and give her a brief hug. However, the princess stepped back and instead placed her hand on his shoulder before engaging in lighthearted conversation with the rugby player.

Now, as the pair were reunited for another Six Nations match, it seemed fitting that the famously quick-witted princess would take the opportunity to poke fun at the Scots captain.

The hilarious interaction between the rugby star and princess was posted on X by Scottish Rugby with the caption: ‘This close to a hug’.

And it wasn’t long before an influx of delighted royal fans praised Anne for her ‘palpable pleasure’ during the ‘truly lovely’ moment. 

‘Genuine and wonderful to see!,’ commented one user, before another added: ‘Brilliant. She’s the coolest royal’. 

‘Win the championship and he might just get that hug,’ quipped one avid fan, while others suggested that the hilarious moment revealed a ‘genuine affection on both sides’. 

It was also noted that while Anne may have been inclined to give Mr Tuipulotu a hug, she was once again abiding by royal protocol, which traditionally advises that members of the Firm do not hug members of the public during public engagements.

Anne has long held a reputation as the Royal Family’s most down-to-earth member and has often delighted royal fans with her quick wit and hilarious sense of humour, as illustrated during her lighthearted moment with Mr Tuipulotu.

Having served as patron of the SRU for almost three decades, she is also a firm fan of the sport and was seated at Edinburgh’s Murrayfield to show her support for the Scots team and wish the players luck ahead of the game.

It was certainly a match Anne would have been glad not to miss as Scots scored seven tries and 50 points in a stunning victory over France that saw them race to the top of the table.

Ensuring to wrap up warm for the sporting event, Anne was dressed in a navy wool, double breasted coat and a tartan scarf. She was later photographed sat in her seat with a stylish pair of brown sunglasses and SRU jacket. 

Previously described by the SRU as a ‘long-standing and committed supporter of Scottish rugby’, Anne has often travelled abroad to support the Scottish national team during the Six Nations tournament and rarely misses a match.

Behind the scenes, Anne has also routinely backed grassroots development and last year became patron of the Murrayfield Injured Players Foundation (MIPDF), which seeks to provide support to injured players across the Scottish game.

Announcing the Princess Royal’s involvement, Ian Rankin, MIPF chair, described Anne as a ‘dedicated supporter of the Scotland rugby team’.

He added: ‘Her passion for sport, her commitment to the game at all levels, is well documented and we are honoured to have her join us as our Patron.’

In 2023, during an appearance on her son-in-law Mike Tindall’s podcast, The Good, The Bad & The Rugby, Anne revealed how she first became patron of the SRU by ‘accident’.

She added: ‘They asked me to go and open the East Stand [at Murrayfield Stadium] when it was built.

‘I had about two weeks’ notice because they had been let down, I can’t remember who by, and as it happened, the horse was lame and I wasn’t competing at the weekend, so I went.

‘About a month later, they asked me if I wanted to become patron.’

Referencing her inherent passion for the sport, the princess added: ‘Everything that rugby gives, I’m talking about exercise and team sports in general, but I do think rugby offers a variety of talents in one team.

‘And you have to look out for each other and that’s a different sort of responsibility within a team structure. They’re not all the same, you can have different skills.’

When Anne’s previous interaction with Mr Tuipulotu was captured as she handed him the Calcutta Cup, social media users praised Anne for handling the moment ‘perfectly’. 

One royal fan noted: ‘She almost got a hug! That’s something you never see. Notice he went in for a hug but she deflected with a pat on his shoulder. Brilliant.’

One user praised Anne for her ‘dignified and beautiful’ behaviour, while another added: ‘The Princess Royal is absolutely phenomenal. She is a fantastic example of duty coming first. The most hard-working royal.’