Mike Tindall Wanted to Tease Kate Middleton About Her Rugby Skills on WhatsApp Family Chat

The husband of Queen Elizabeth's granddaughter said Kate "just looked effortless" during her rugby outing last week

Mike Tindall and Kate Middleton. Photo: Max Mumby/Indigo/Getty

Mike Tindall will have to find something else to tease Kate Middleton about in the royal family's WhatsApp chat.

The husband of Queen Elizabeth's granddaughter Zara Tindall reacted to Kate's rugby skills during a training session at Twickenham Stadium last week — and as a former pro rugby player, he knows a thing or two about the sport!

Alex Payne told cohosts Mike and James Haskell on the latest episode of The Good, The Bad & The Rugby podcast, "She looks a more natural rugby player than both of you put together."

Mike had to agree, despite trying to dig up some dirt on his cousin-in-law.

"I text Ellis [Genge] and said, 'Mate, please tell me anything she messed up on,' so I could sort of… family WhatsApp group, get to her," Mike quipped. "And he said, 'No, she was actually pretty good, and she was really good at kicking,' and I was like [sigh]. But she has this competitive nature."

Kate Middleton. Karwai Tang/WireImage

Kate's sporty outing was her debut as the new royal patron of the Rugby Football Union and Rugby Football League.

James added, "When she was announced, I thought amazing because we know she obviously likes her rugby. But the way she caught the ball, the way she jumped in the line-out, the little outside break, she was utterly fantastic, she was really, really, really good. And so I was like amazing, and dual sport, what an amazing ambassador."

Kate, 40, even participated in a line-out play, where a player can be hoisted in the air by their teammates to receive a ball after it goes out of the field of play.

"Just imagine, anyone who's ever tried it, getting thrown up in the line-out if you've never done it before is not easy because normally, you'll kick the prop in either the nuts or the face as he's lifting you, and she just looked effortless," Mike said.

Kate Middleton. Karwai Tang/WireImage

Mike, 43, also hinted at the new husband vs. wife sports rivalry in the household, as Prince William is patron of the Welsh Rugby Union.

"The best thing is when it rolls to England and Wales, we get the battle of the Cambridges," he said.

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Kate Middleton. Yui Mok/PA Images via Getty Images

Not only are cousins Prince William and Zara close, but their families are as well. Kate and William's children — Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis — have been seen playing at outside events with Zara and Mike's daughters, Mia and Lena — and likely soon, baby Lucas will join the fun!

In December, Prince William shared some of his favorite Christmas traditions with Barry Alston of Radio Marsden, a charity run by volunteers broadcasting to and supporting cancer patients at the Royal Marsden Hospitals.

While admitted that food is "quite important" around Christmas, he most looks forward to the holidays as a time to get together with loved ones.

"For me, generally, bringing the family together at Christmastime is always lovely because we're quite spread out doing our things a lot of time throughout the year. We get very few moments to actually come together," he said. "When I see my children meet up with my cousin's children, and they all have a wonderful time playing together, it's very special. I look forward to that a lot."