Princess Anne has finally granted Scottish Rugby captain Sione Tuipulotu the embrace he had been seeking for weeks.
The 75-year-old Princess Royal, who serves as patron of the Scottish Rugby Union, was filmed warmly hugging the 29-year-old sportsman following Scotland’s concluding Six Nations fixture against Ireland on March 14.
The touching moment came after Anne had twice sidestepped Mr Tuipulotu’s attempts at an embrace during previous matches in the tournament.
Scottish Rugby shared footage of the encounter on social media with the caption: “Sione finally gets his hug,” prompting an outpouring of affection from royal watchers across the country.
Scottish Rugby captain left delighted after finally getting hug from Princess Anne
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X: SCOTTISH RUGBY
Admirers of the Royal Family took to X and Instagram in droves to express their delight at the heartwarming scene.
“So human and brilliant” was how one user described the Princess Royal, whilst another remarked that she appeared to be “such a down-to-earth royal.”
Others labelled Anne “classy” and a “great ambassador of Scottish Rugby,” with one commenter predicting the captain would “cherish that hug.”
In the footage captured inside the visiting team’s changing room at Dublin’s Aviva Stadium, Mr Tuipulotu can be heard expressing his gratitude.
“Thank you so much for the hug,” he told Anne, before joking: “Away from the crowd!”
The saga that captured the nation’s attention began on 14 February, when Anne transformed Mr Tuipulotu’s enthusiastic attempt at an embrace into a polite handshake, placing her hand on his shoulder instead, following Scotland’s victory over England.
The pair then shared an amusing exchange on March 7 after the team’s triumph against France, when both playfully opened their arms simultaneously in a knowing nod to their earlier encounter.
Royal watchers praised Anne’s “fun” and “wonderful” nature following the lighthearted moment during the Auld Alliance Trophy presentation.
Princess Anne and Sione Tuipulotu mocked their viral moment from February | GETTY
Anne could be seen backing away from Sione Tuipulotu’s hug in February
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FACEBOOKMr Tuipulotu addressed the viral incident in an interview with ITV Sport, insisting: “I’m vibing with Princess Anne, and I don’t feel like she thinks I’m in trouble.”
The captain, who grew up in Australia, admitted he knew little about the Royal Family but declared Anne “an icon,” adding: “I just think she looks cool up in the stands with her shades on.”
Anne has held her position as SRU patron since 1986 and seldom misses a Six Nations fixture.
Speaking on her son-in-law Mike Tindall’s podcast, The Good, The Bad & The Rugby, in 2023, she revealed her patronage came about “by accident” after stepping in at short notice to open Murrayfield Stadium’s East Stand when the original guest pulled out.
“About a month later, they asked me if I wanted to become patron,” she explained.