Six Nations divided by kneeling against racism: Twelve England rugby players and four Scotland stars take a knee before match for Rugby Against Racism campaign – while the rest remain standing
- Players lined up in support of the Rugby Against Racism campaign today
- England are taking on Scotland at Twickenham, London, in the Six Nations
- Earlier France trounced Italy 50 points to 10 at the Stadio Olimpico in Rome
The majority of England’s rugby players kneeled before the team’s first Six Nations game this year while most of Scotland’s players did not take part in the display.
The Six Nations kicked off in the Calcutta Cup at an empty Twickenham stadium in southwest London today.
Ahead of kick-off, the players lined up in support of the Rugby Against Racism campaign but not all players took part in taking the knee.
Twelve England players and four Scotland stars took the knee while the rest remained standing.
The majority of England’s rugby players took the knee before kick off at Twickenham this afternoon
Meanwhile four Scotland stars took the knee while the rest remained standing ahead of the game
Scotland took first blood this evening and went into the second half of the annual Calcutta Cup clash defending a slim 8-6 lead.
Earlier France trounced Italy 50 points to 10 at a similarly quiet contest at the Stadio Olimpico in Rome.
It’s only a few months since the final fixtures of 2020’s tournament were played after the outbreak of the pandemic in Europe halted the competition last spring.
The Duke of Sussex said the ‘passion and enjoyment’ of sport can bring comfort to people in the ‘isolated’ times we live in earlier today.
Ahead of kick-off, the players lined up in support of the Rugby Against Racism campaign but not all players took part in taking the knee
The Six Nations kicked off with no fans today with England taking on Scotland in the Calcutta Cup at an empty Twickenham stadium
Harry was speaking ahead of England and Scotland marking rugby’s oldest international rivalry when they meet at Twickenham on Saturday.
The game will mark the 150th anniversary of the first ever Test, which took place on March 27, 1871 in Edinburgh.
Professional sport continues to be allowed to happen despite the strict third national lockdown still in force.
Last year’s tournament was abandoned ahead of the final round of matches as the pandemic started spiralling out of control.
The remaining games were finally played in late 2020 and England were crowned champions.
An eerie silence descended on Twickenham today, devoid of the fans and chants of Swing Low Sweet Chariot ringing round the stadium.
But one spectator would have caught the eye of the players – Warren Gatland, head coach of the Lions, who is considering his selection picks for this year’s tournament.