Princess Charlene has announced that Monaco’s national rugby sevens team will take part in the European Games for the first time. The princess, who is President of the Monegasque Rugby Federation, shared the news on 7 October at Monte-Carlo Bay, during the presentation of the team’s 2026 to 2027 season. Her brother, Gareth Wittstock, joined her for the occasion.
The qualification is a milestone for the principality. It is the first time a Monaco team has competed in a team sport at the European Games. The side earned its place by finishing fourth overall in the second division of European rugby sevens, a result that puts Monaco among the top 16 nations in the format on the continent. Sevens is the shorter and faster version of rugby union, played with seven players on each side, and it has become a regular part of multi-sport events.
The fourth edition of the Games will be held in Istanbul from 16 to 27 June 2027. Around 7,500 athletes from 50 countries are expected to compete across 30 sports, giving Monaco’s small squad a place on one of Europe’s largest multi-sport stages. For Charlene, a former Olympic swimmer, the announcement adds to a long record of support for sport in the principality.
The rugby news came during a busy fortnight for the princely family. On 3 October, Charlene switched on pink lights at Casino Square to open Pink October, the 16th campaign by Pink Ribbon Monaco under her honorary presidency. Twenty-four buildings, including the Prince’s Palace, are lit pink during the month to promote breast cancer prevention, screening and treatment. On the same day, Princess Caroline attended the fifth Smile Day in Larvotto, organised by Les Smileys Monaco to support children and families going through stressful medical care.
Other members of the family were also active. Prince Albert II and Princess Caroline opened the architecture exhibition Memory of Places at Quai Antoine Ier on 29 September, curated by Célia Bernasconi, director of the Heritage Institute, and running until 24 January 2027. On 5 October, Princess Stéphanie visited a new shared living unit for people with disabilities in the Hemera building, accompanied by Health and Social Affairs Minister Christophe Robino. The 450-square-metre unit has ten bedrooms, each with a private bathroom, as well as shared living areas and 180 square metres of outdoor space.
