Scotland captain Sione Tuipulotu joked about their viral hug moment when he met Princess Anne again after beating France, with the Princess Royal laughing at the reference to their awkward Calcutta Cup encounter
Scotland rugby captain Sione Tuipulotu was involved in a brilliant moment with Princess Anne, a few weeks after she awkwardly declined his attempts at a hug.
The centre found himself meeting the Princess Royal whilst collecting silverware following Scotland’s Six Nations triumph over France and made light of the situation, sparking laughter all round.
Tuipulotu, evidently elated after his side’s memorable Calcutta Cup victory over England earlier in the tournament, had leaned in for an embrace when receiving the trophy, but Princess Anne rebuffed the gesture due to protocol, with footage of the incident subsequently spreading across social media.
The pair were reunited on Saturday, with Tuipulotu this time accepting a trophy after his Scotland team demolished the French. Upon catching Princess Anne’s eye, Tuipulotu opened his arms in jest, referencing their earlier meeting from several weeks before.
Princess Anne, however, appreciated the humour, with the late Elizabeth II’s daughter promptly laughing off Tuipulotu’s playful attempt at a more affectionate greeting. Both wore broad grins and exchanged brief words before Tuipulotu hoisted the Alliance Trophy overhead in triumph.
It marked a significant occasion for Tuipulotu and his Scottish colleagues, as the result maintains their prospects of a maiden championship during the Six Nations period. They head to Dublin next weekend aware that victory against Ireland, combined with an England win over France, would deliver an improbable title success.
Scotland, having lost their opening match of this year’s Six Nations against Italy, have since bounced back and could potentially make history. In response to the victory, Gregor Townsend expressed his faith in his squad and encouraged them to maintain their focus ahead of next weekend’s crucial match.
Speaking to the BBC, he said: “It was a brilliant day, brilliant day for our supporters. Not just the rugby we played, but the mindset to keep attacking, a lot of teams would sit on that lead against France.
“We know the best way of winning is playing like what got us that success in the first half. I believed in the team. Our game is built to put some of our best strike players in the game into space and they built phase after phase and grew in confidence. You need painful moments and defeat to make you the team you’re going to be. Italy is part of the journey.”