OTD: England World Cup winner Mike Tindall makes life changing decision

Mike Tindall became the final member of England’s 2003 World Cup-winning team to retire on this day in 2014.

Tindall, then 35, decided to hang up his boots after almost two decades in the game with Bath and Gloucester.

Four days earlier, Iain Balshaw confirmed his retirement after failing to recover from a knee injury, briefly leaving Tindall as the only member of England’s triumphant World Cup squad still active.

Head coach Andy Farrell on Ireland’s famous win over Springboks

Head coach Andy Farrell on Ireland’s famous win over Springboks

The Otley-born back, who married the Queen’s granddaughter Zara Phillips in 2011, started his career with Bath in 1997 and spent eight seasons at the Rec before moving to their West Country rivals Gloucester.

Tindall spent almost a decade at Kingsholm and became player-coach following the arrival of director of rugby Nigel Davies in 2012.

He played 75 matches for England and broke his nose at least eight times during his rugby career.

Since retirement Tindall has featured on reality television shows ‘The Jump’ and ‘Bear Grylls: Mission Survive’ before finishing fourth in the 2022 series of ‘I’m A Celebrity…Get Me Out of Here!’.