Kate named as not only the patron of rugby league but union as well , let’s hope she keeps the role longer than Harry did ,and would be a huge boost for the sport if she makes an appearance at the World Cup (if it goes ahead ). Just the boost our beleaguered World Cup needs with the two biggest names pulling out .

Can she play hooker

Bet she's ryht pleased abart that, us commoners up north

One cannot see their whippets Willy dearest.

The replies show why we never progress as a sport.

The management and marketing is constantly criticised yet when we get the highest profile royal as Patron we can't see anything good in it and just make jokes.

Her endorsement would be the most valuable thing to happen to RL in ages. More so than Harry in recent years.
We need to use opportunities like that as much as we can rather than push it away because we are northerners.

To be fair, "can she play hooker" was quite a good one.

Don't give a toss for the royalty one bit for me they can do one

Johnson already acts like a President.
I am sorry but also a republican despite the above so not really of that much interest. I very much doubt she asked for the new role and probably picked it out of a hat when they were sharing out Harry’s old patronages.

If/ when she shows up at some of our major events, I will agree with you.
However, I think this is just a share out of some of Harry's roles.

I could see her and Wills in the Royal Box at Twickers but, she will be nowhere near Old Trafford or Wembley.
- happy to be proven wrong

This is where I am.

Harry should have been a good patron as there was always the prospect of him actually liking the game and he wasn't interested. Happy to draw balls out of a bag at the Palace but beyond that, hopeless. We get to a World Cup Final and he goes to Twickers instead. Had it been a Union final in Australia and a GB game in England, he would have been on the first flight to Sydney. I doubt Kate will be any different.

In reality, it means nothing. No one will decide to nip down to Belle Vue because Kate is the patron. It makes us feel that we're being taken seriously, but when it comes to it, we won't be.

You are correct. But the patron of the rugby league is nothing to do with getting footfall at Belle Vue
It's all about publicity across media and especially the media who don't gives us the time of day normally.
It doesn't matter whether she likes the game. It's all about having a name and a face to link to the sport..... So that someone notices we have a world cup or we get better tv rights because a company may get some benefit of being linked to her etc etc.
Bigger picture.

Genuine question PT, in the 8 years Rugby League had the highest profile royal as our patron, what good do you think it has done Rugby League?

What your saying sounds good, but realistically instead of looking into the future and guessing what good it might do can we not just look back on the last 8 years? You talk about a bigger picture but I just wonder what it actually means for the sport in terms of making a difference?

I can`t see it having any influence what so ever on TV rights, I look down the list of the 2013 world cup sponsorships, very similar to the sponsorship for this years and I can`t imagine any of them have sponsored the game due to Harry being involved, sure it could be a small bonus but it`s not the reason they sponsor.

In the last 8 years, our TV deal has drastically reduced, attendances have drastically reduced, viewing figures have reduced, is that anything to do with Harry? No, but that's the point. For me, they have zero influence on anything at all, if Kate bothers to show up to a final every once in a while we might get a 3 second snippet of her on the BBC whilst we are signing the national anthem, that's about it.

Realistically it means nothing.

And more importantly, if she is now patron of RL AND Union, which of these two sports is she most likely to lean towards, a sport played in all public schools or on that is primarily played in the state schools in the North of England.
Will anyone in the Royal Establishment know the difference ?

Poptart...I couldn't care less about royalty one way or tuther,my comment was a bit of fun.But I do think you're wrong if you think Kate whatshername will make much difference to how we are perceived as a sport or whether we will benefit much.People aren't stupid, they know KM has absolutely nothing in common with RL,nor will she have.

I think it means a lot.
Whether we are capable as a sport of using it is a far bigger question.