William grabbed by youngsters shouting 'tackle the prince' during rugby challenge

Prince William joined a game of rugby with a group of youngsters lifted out of poverty through playing the sport in Cape Town today - and was challenged when one of them shouted 'tackle the prince!'

Prince William showed he is up for tackling the big issues when it comes to climate change.

After meeting young environmentalists in Cape Town, ahead of his Earthshot Prize awards on Wednesday, the Prince of Wales joined in a game of rugby with township youngsters being lifted out of poverty through the game. Wills heard the cry "tackle the prince" when he challenged a group of teenagers to the game of touch rugby near Cape Town.

The future king was joined by legendary former Springbok players Joel Stransky and Tendai Mtawarira, nicknamed "The Beast" who joked about his last meeting with William - when he wore just a towel.

The Atlas Foundation, founded by England World Cup-winning hero Jason Leonard, helps children all over the world get out of poverty by playing rugby. Shaking hands with the imposing Mtawarira, William joked about their previous meeting in a changing room, saying: "You're still as big as you were - bigger even!”

Mtawarira, now an entrepreneur who runs his own charitable foundation later said William met the South African players after they beat Wales to win the Prince William Cup over a decade ago.

"He came into the changing room and I was only dressed in my towel and I shook his hand and I said it was nice to shake your hand now I'm fully dressed - as opposed to half naked." Leonard hosted the visit and introduced William to groups of teenage boys and girls being coached as part of the ex-sportsman's Atlas Foundation operating in 19 countries.

William seemed keen to get his hands on the ball and then joined 'The Beast' on a team that bravely tried to pass their way past the youngsters as one young player shouted "tackle the prince". At one point two teenagers grabbed the royal stopping him in his tracks and leaving him laughing, and during another passage of play, 'The Beast' playfully shoved a scrum back and allowed the prince to run in for an unopposed try.

Earlier in the day William told young environmentalists you’re "going to change the world" as he arrived in Cape Town for the start of his Earthshot Prize awards. During an off-the-cuff speech for young climate activists, the Prince of Wales Prince William told the 120 youngsters from across Africa and Southeast Asia: “The Earthshot Prize believes in you and the reason we set the prize up is for moments like this” after speaking with them about their ideas to tackle climate issues, which included a business making handbags out of old tyres.

"All of you in this room are future change makes, you’re the leaders, you’re the people going to make the difference going forwards. It’s your platform, use it as you need to, take it away, play with it, turn it into something different.

"Because we believe in you and what you’re going to do is change the world, I really believe that. This is the generation that are going to do that. And your solutions and your impact are so important and so needed right now.

"This is not noble, this is business and what you’re doing is creating solutions and a better life for all of us. Keep it going, keep the energy up." The young people are participating in the inaugural Earthshot Prize Climate Leaders Youth Programme. The Earthshot Prize awards take place on Wednesday evening in Cape Town, beamed live across the world on the official YouTube channel.