Princess Mathilde, the wife of Crown Prince Philippe, today gave birth to their third child Emmanuel, who will be fourth in line of succession to the Belgian throne.

MY earliest memory of anything to do with rugby was the horror of the Christian Brothers in the early 1950s at the news that Eamon de Valera described rugby as his favourite game.

Belgium celebrated its first female heir to the throne today, a day after Princess Mathilde, wife of Crown Prince Philippe, gave birth to their first child, a daughter.