Mike Tindall

Michael James Tindall was born on 18 October 1978 in Wharfedale Hospital, Otley, West Yorkshire, England. His parents are Philip Tindall, a banker for Barclays, and Linda (née Shepherd), a social worker. His maternal ancestors include bootmakers, stonemasons, and weavers, while his paternal great-grandfather, Arthur Sutcliffe Tindall, was a blacksmith, and his great-grandfather William Tindall was a landowner farming 105 acres at Fairburn, North Yorkshire.

Tindall attended Queen Elizabeth Grammar School in Wakefield, an independent public school. His father played rugby for Otley Rugby Union Football Club.

His rugby career began when he joined Bath Rugby in 1997, straight from school, at the age of 18. At Bath, he initially played alongside Jeremy Guscott and Phil de Glanville. He made his debut for the England national team on 5 February 2000 against Ireland during the Six Nations Championship. Tindall played as an outside centre and earned a total of 75 caps for England from 2000 to 2011.

He played in eleven Six Nations Championships from 2000 to 2011. Notably, he was part of the England squad that won the 2003 Rugby World Cup and the 2003 Six Nations Championship. Tindall scored a try in his debut match for England. He played regularly at both club and international levels after the 1999 Rugby World Cup, establishing a partnership with inside centre Will Greenwood, particularly during the 2003 Rugby World Cup, where he wore the number 12 jersey. Despite some criticism, he secured the outside centre position and participated in key matches, including the final of the 2003 World Cup.

In 2005, Tindall missed the Six Nations due to a foot injury and was unable to participate in the British & Irish Lions tour to New Zealand. Following a dispute over salary cap issues and contractual disagreements with Bath owner Andrew Brownsword, he left Bath after eight years and signed a three-year deal with Gloucester Rugby worth £150,000.

At Gloucester, Tindall returned from injury in autumn 2005 and played at inside centre. He faced criticism over his club partnerships and form but continued to be selected for England, participating in major competitions including the 2007 Six Nations. In April 2007, he broke his leg during a match against Newcastle Falcons, which caused him to miss the 2007 Rugby World Cup. He returned to play later that year, scoring a try in a match against Worcester Warriors.

During the 2008 Six Nations, Tindall sustained internal injuries—the perforated liver and punctured lung—after landing on Mark Jones’s foot during a match against Wales in February 2008. He subsequently signed a new three-year contract with Gloucester until the end of 2011.

In 2012, Gloucester announced that he would not be playing for the club in the following season, but he re-signed as a player and backs coach for one more year, extending his playing career until his retirement in 2014. Tindall retired from professional rugby on 15 July 2014.

After retiring from professional rugby, Tindall returned to grassroots rugby, playing and coaching at Minchinhampton RFC in Gloucester. He made his debut with the club in October 2014.

Tindall's international career was marred by a misconduct incident at the 2011 Rugby World Cup, where he was fined £25,000 and removed from the England elite squad after throwing a dwarf in Queenstown, New Zealand. Following an inquiry, the fine was reduced to £15,000, and his suspension was lifted. Tindall claimed he did not recall the incident and did not intentionally mislead the team management.

He was also involved with the Barbarians, playing in matches during their tours in 2012 and serving as captain against England in 2013. He was part of the squad during the British & Irish Lions tour to Australia in 2013.

Tindall is married to Zara Phillips, daughter of Anne, Princess Royal, and her first husband Captain Mark Phillips. They first met during the 2003 Rugby World Cup in Australia. Their engagement was announced in December 2010, and they were married on 30 July 2011 at Canongate Kirk in Edinburgh. The couple has three children: Mia Grace Tindall, born on 17 January 2014; Lena Elizabeth Tindall, born on 18 June 2018; and Lucas Philip Tindall, born on 21 March 2021.

He has two convictions for drunk-driving and has sustained multiple nose fractures during his rugby career. In 2018, he underwent surgery to repair fractured nasal bones.

Tindall has appeared on reality TV shows including The Jump and Bear Grylls: Mission Survive, and has hosted podcasts such as House of Rugby and The Good, The Bad & The Rugby with James Haskell and Alex Payne. He also participated in the 2022 edition of I'm a Celebrity...Get Me Out of Here!, finishing fourth.

He has engaged in various charitable activities, including hosting charity sporting events such as golf tournaments and acting as a brand ambassador for UFXMarkets and Betway. Tindall is also an ambassador and patron for charities such as the Matt Hampson Foundation, Rugby for Heroes, and Right To Play UK. In 2021, he co-founded The Rugby Wine Club to support grassroots rugby clubs.

His bibliography includes the books “The Good, the Bad & The Rugby – Unleashed” (2024) and “Reloaded – The Good, The Bad & The Rugby” (2025), co-authored with James Haskell and Alex Payne.