Prince Harry’s Next Major International Trip Is Way Sooner Than You Think (Like, Next Weekend)

Prince Harry is taking his passion for rugby all the way to Japan.

Today, Buckingham Palace announced that the 35-year-old Duke of Sussex will travel to Japan to attend the 2019 Rugby World Cup Final between England and South Africa next Saturday, November 2. Harry will make the trip as part of his role as patron of the Rugby Football Union.

This last-minute trip comes as a surprise, as the Duke of Sussex only recently returned from a ten-day royal tour of Africa alongside his wife, Meghan Markle, and 5-month-old son, Archie Harrison Mountbatten-Windsor.

Since Prince Harry’s trip will likely be a short one, it’s not anticipated that the 38-year-old Duchess of Sussex and royal baby Archie will come along for the ride. However, Prince Harry recently surprised well-wishers at a round table discussion about gender equality at Windsor Castle, where he made an appearance alongside Duchess Meghan after personally driving her to the event. So, who knows? 

Regardless of whom Prince Harry chooses to bring along with him (if anyone), we all know who he’ll be rooting for (England, duh, although his love of South Africa is well documented). Like his brother, Prince William, Prince Harry has been a longtime rugby fan. Thankfully, the brothers won’t have to root against one another this go-around, although the 37-year-old Duke of Cambridge’s team, the Welsh Rugby Union, did come close to facing off against England. Instead, South Africa knocked the Welsh out of the competition and England was victorious over New Zealand. Prince Harry celebrated his team’s win by congratulating “our boys” on Instagram, explaining that “like most rugby fans” he was “thrilled to be able to witness such an amazing display of sportsmanship between two great teams.”

Now he’ll get to experience that sportsmanship in the flesh. Go, team, go!