Charles thanks New Zealand women’s rugby team players for ‘very healing’ hug

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Andrew Feinberg

White House Correspondent

The King found himself in the middle of a scrum when he accepted a hug from a New Zealand women’s rugby player.

Charles laughed as he was affectionately mobbed by the Black Ferns, in the UK to take on England’s Red Roses, after he said “hug, why not”.

Winger Ayesha Leti-I’iga had made the cheeky request and her teammates joined in, leaving the head of state giggling from the group hug during a Buckingham Palace reception.

The King later made the squad laugh during an impromptu speech, when he said: “I much appreciated this chance to meet you and have such a warm hug from most of you,” adding “very healing”.

Details of Charles’ first major tour since his cancer diagnosis were released on Tuesday, with the King travelling to Australia and making a state visit to Samoa for a Commonwealth leaders’ summit.

But he will not travel to New Zealand and said: “I’m extremely sorry I can’t come to New Zealand in later October because of doctor’s orders, but I hope there’ll be another excuse (to come) before not too long.”

Champagne was served for Charles’ guests but the sportswomen opted for fruit juice and water and the King made the players laugh when he joked about the situation.

He said: “I’m so pleased to have this opportunity to greet you all, for a short moment – apparently not to be able to give you a drink.”

During the event, Charles performed a hongi, a traditional Maori symbolic greeting of pressing of noses, with Allan Bunting, the Black Ferns’ head coach and director of rugby.

The players also performed a waiata, a traditional welcome song, after the King expressed his sympathy following the recent death of New Zealand’s Maori King Tuheitia.

Charles enjoyed the company of the boisterous players who will take on their English opponents this weekend at Twickenham in a rematch of the 2022 Rugby World Cup final that the Kiwis won on home ground.

He confessed to one group that he played in the second row during his rugby days at school and said he broke his nose playing the sport.

The King said: “It was the worst position, it was a bit dangerous sometimes.”

When he chatted to Ms Leti-I’iga’s group of players he asked them if they “stick to a diet” and she replied: “Do I look like someone who sticks to a diet?”