Christmas is a time for home comforts. So it seems appropriate that Will Skelton, the gentle Australian giant in Saracens’ second row, wants to have a barbecue when he and his wife, Kate, welcome friends and their families to his St Albans home next Wednesday.
It is not just the choice of food that makes Christmas with the Skeltons unlike most. When Saracens signed him in 2016, few could have imagined they would get two Skeltons for the price of one.
But, five seasons into her rugby career, Kate now plays for Saracens, too.
Growing up on Australia’s Central Coast, she came from a rugby-mad Maori family but did not take the game up until later in life. Things have developed quickly, though.
She started Saturday’s remarkable win over rivals Harlequins at The Stoop — when they came from 24-0 down to win 33-27 — at lock but they both agree she is a flanker.
“I’m just happy to play, if they need a job doing I’ll put my hands up, but it doesn’t mean I know what I’m doing!” she explains.
They watch each other when there is no fixture clash and have contrasting viewing styles.
“You can hear me from a mile away,” says Kate. “But when Will watches I can always tell where he is because there will be a group of people in one place, then a single figure in the far corner trying to be conspicuous. He’s a lot quieter.”
Top-level rugby matches are not even half the story with the Skelton Christmas, though. In their early days in England after Will’s transfer to Sarries from the Waratahs, Kate did a floristry course.
Now she runs a business selling flowers, making wreaths and running workshops and her passion for it is clear.
The business’s busiest time of year got Kate thinking. She sells the flowers in big brown bags. Why not, she thought, use them for something else at Christmas time? So she invited local people to buy an empty bag from her for £15, which she would fill with toys and give to children in need this Christmas.
The Skeltons then matched all donations and smashed their target, creating 104 bags. Kate bought the toys from a wholesaler to get better prices and will take them to a local church and the organisation KidsOut.
“For us, Christmas is all about kids,” she says. “Even though we are away from our families, we always make sure that at Christmas there are kids around.
“Christmas should be innocent and kids should stay innocent for as long as possible. I guess it’s the thought of some kids not having that excitement and having to deal with things that only adults should have to, kids shouldn’t be exposed to them.”
Kate believes that she has always had a charitable streak, but moving to Saracens, where people have been “extremely generous”, has brought it out even more.
“Growing up, I didn’t have much money but I learnt that the more you give the more you get to give,” she says.
“For me, it’s never been an option. I’ve got this so I’ve got to give what I can of that and not waste it. Being encouraged to be more generous has been easier on this side of the world because of the people we’re surrounded by and some of the gestures people have done for us.”
That attitude has rubbed off on Will. He says: “It’s fairly new and I think it came from Kate. I’m in a fortunate position being a professional athlete.
"I feel that comes with a responsibility to look after your family and there are less fortunate people who need help.
“Before I met Kate, I didn’t think I was very generous and now I try to live up to that. I didn’t know much about these issues but she explained them to me and there are kids out there who are struggling and if we can breathe life into their Christmas, that’s good.”
All this suggests a couple very happy in the UK. Every defeat for Australia is followed by calls for Will to return to add to his 18 caps but they are enjoying their life at Saracens so will be here for at least another 18 months.
Perhaps by next Christmas, they will not be braving the barbecue but you can be sure there will be a charity project in the offing.
