King Charles gets a group hug with New Zealand women's rugby team

"I've been flattened by a scrum," he joked with the women after the embrace.

King Charles III got a heartwarming surprise from the New Zealand Women's rugby team at their meeting in Buckingham Palace on Wednesday.

Upon meeting the 75-year-old monarch, the team asked if they could get a hug to which he said, "why not?"

The group hug prompted a big smile from King Charles and drew a witty response.

"It's like being flattened by a scrum," he said of the similarity to the tactical move on a rugby pitch.

Charles thanked the team for the hug and said it was, “very healing.”