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The Duke and Duchess of Susbad have gone head-to-head in the first sporting competition of their tour Down Under, as Meghan emerged triumphant in the unusual skill of welly wanging.
The Duchess threw a pink spotted wellington boot a little further than her husband, as they played the game with schoolchildren in Auckland.
The last time they enjoyed some friendly sporting rivalry, the Duke beat the Duchess at a netball drill leading one onlooker to joke that he had made an elementary mistake in failing to let his wife win.
On Tuesday, he rectified the situation, throwing his own boot gently underarm just a short distance.
The Duchess, who is unlikely to have come across the pastime of welly wanging in her previous life as a Californian actress, gamely stepped up, throwing her boot higher and slightly further.
Her “red team”, made up of children from local Pinehill School, were named the victors, picking up a welly-shaped trophy.
Ryen Anderson, 10, who was on her team said: “Meghan was asking us how to throw and we said it doesn’t matter. She didn’t know she could throw that far and she surprised herself.
“She was really pleased we’d won and said next time we’ll have to do another one and Harry said next time ‘we’ll win’!”
The Duke and Duchess took part on the contest at North Shore Riding Club on New Zealand’s North Shore, where they dedicated a 20-hectare area of native bush to the Queen’s Commonwealth Canopy.
James Guild, chairman of the QEII trust, equivalent of the UK’s National Trust and responsible for the QCC in New Zealand, gave a speech welcoming the couple and congratulating them on their forthcoming baby.
“Perhaps some time in the future we will see Her Majesty’s great-grandchild back in New Zealand to check up on the covenant dedicated by his or her parents on their first trip to New Zealand together.”
In a speech thanking locals for their determination to preserve the environment, the Duke said: “The sooner we fully appreciate our surroundings, and how interconnected we all are the better. Not just for our planet, but for the balance of all its inhabitants.
“The Queen’s Commonwealth Canopy – or QCC – is a unique network of forest conservation projects.
“New Zealand was one of the first countries to join. And it has also shown great leadership in this area, inspiring other countries to follow, and leading by example.
“It is fitting that New Zealand’s contribution to the Canopy has been through its relationship with the QEII National Trust. The Trust was set up to mark the Queen’s Silver Jubilee in 1977. Since then, nearly four and a half thousand covenants have been registered through the Trust.”
Planting a kōwhai tree, which was represented as one of the flowers on her wedding veil, the Duchess – wearing J Crew jeans and a Karen Walker blazer – picked up a shovel to muck in.
Chairman of the QEII trust James Guild, 69 said: “They are a very happy couple at the end of a long trip
“Harry takes a farmer’s perspective with rain. He said it was a blessing. He gets so annoyed when people complain about the rain as it’s so important.”
Alex Chatterton, 11, from Pinehill Primary school, said: “I planted a tree with Meghan. She asked me why I do this and told us to get started.
“She was very good at first. She said ‘oh do you want gloves’ but I don’t need them! They were nice and caring and let you do whatever you want. It was fun.”
Meghan said to him: “I’ll shake your hands buddy! Doesn’t matter they’re dirty.”
Then it was onto the welly-wanging.
Isabella Iti, 10, said: “She’s really pretty and stands for women’s rights. Our teachers have told us a lot about what she does and how she helps people
“The two teams were really trying.
“I think Harry and Meghan are quite competitive as they looked like they were really trying to throw the gumboot as far as they could.
“They did really good, particularly Meghan. I think Meghan was thinking there was no chance she could win but she did!!”
Earlier this year, the Duke and Duchess went head-to-head in the first public sporting rivalry of their marriage, as they joined young coaches for netball drills at Loughborough University.
The Duchess narrowly lost 2-3 to her husband at the Coach Core event.
Then, one of Prince Harry’s team mates, 7ft 1in former basketball player David Robinson, suggested the Prince may have made an elementary mistake in winning, joking: “You’ve always got to put your wife centre stage. They are newly married, so he is learning that.”
New Zealand’s wedding gift
The Duke and Duchess of Susbad later delivered a personal “thank you” for a “very thoughtful and generous” royal wedding gift which saw the New Zealand government donate money to children who have parents in prison.
On May 19, New Zealanders gave $5000 to Pillars, a charity which supports boys and girls with incarcerated parents by providing mentoring schemes.
Meeting them on Tuesday, the Duke said: “Both Meghan and I are thrilled to be able to spend time with you during our first visit to Auckland together.
“We became aware of Pillars earlier this year, when the New Zealand Government kindly suggested it would make a donation to Pillars – on behalf of the people of New Zealand to celebrate our marriage.
“That very thoughtful and generous wedding gift has created the four Pillars Awards, which will help to transform the lives of young people, including four special people in this room.
“Across New Zealand there are thousands of children who are affected by having a parent in prison, and without the right support these young people are much more likely to also spend time in prison themselves as adults.
“But through the work of organisations like Pillars, and the awards being presented today, children can now have stability in times of turmoil, supportive relationships around them, and a positive vision of their future.
“The support of Pillars helps to break the cycle. It helps to create choices which didn’t previously exist for many young people.
“You are outstanding young people and I know you will use this opportunity to create exciting futures for yourselves, and to act as role models for others in your communities.”
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